One, Two, Free For
by Sgt Skillcraft
Summary: *Spoiler Alert* set after S5X09. Circumstances and the realities of everyday life can change the nature of relationships, but love, friendship and devotion remain. It all depends on how you look at it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Lost Girl characters or situations, nor do I have any means or intention of profiting from this derivative work based on said characters and situations. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 1: No One Sings me Lullabies

Dr. Lauren Lewis had made all her dreams come true. Her job was healing both fae and humans, as well as research and development. And that she was fae, her and Bo were able to be an exclusive couple as she had planned for so long. Or, at least, so she thought. The doubts began three days after Tamsin had returned to live at the clubhouse. Well, not returned so much as she had been dragged there by Dyson, bloody and barely clinging to life. The shifter wasn't sure exactly what had happened to her, but speculated that Hades had found her and gave her the first installment of many more promised in payback for her betrayal of him. Lauren fully subscribed to this theory, since Bo's father had threatened his former employee in their presence. But his daughter was in denial that he would carry out his intentions after she had declared the Valkyrie off limits to him. Nevertheless, Bo had insisted the Valkyrie stay with them, for her own protection, until she worked out her issues with Hades or he returned to Tartarus for good. Lauren had treated her wounds as best she could. Since there was so little written about Valkyrie, there was not much she could do other than stop the bleeding and set broken bones. Tamsin didn't regain consciousness for two days, and when she did wake – she wasn't the same. In truth, none of them were the same after Kenzi left.

As she lie awake in her slumbering lover's arms, Lauren's mind wandered unintentionally into mulling over the consequences of releasing the overlord of Tartarus. While she and Bo had once again grown closer, the rest of the family seemed to be slowly and inexorably drifting apart. Kenzi had already moved on to find happiness on her own terms. Bo was struggling with her mixed feelings about her father, but Dyson was immediately suspicious of Hades and his actions no matter how benevolent they might appear. This, and the fact that he seemed to be shifting away from his former reverent attentiveness towards Bo in favor of the human Alicia had caused a bit of friction between the wolf and the succubus. Neither one of the pair would acknowledge or discuss the growing tension between them, but Lauren saw it plainly with her ever analytical mind – and it was very troublesome to her. And then there was Tamsin.

Lauren squirmed in Bo's embrace to get more comfortable in a feeble attempt to catch the elusive sleep she had been chasing for over an hour and tried not to think about the broken woman upstairs in the attic. Her lover sensed her restlessness, even in her sleep, and pulled her closer mumbling garbled yet soothing words. Bo was deep in sleep brought on by marathon sex and overfeeding that left her groggy and fully sated. Bo was always fully satisfied after she fed from Lauren. The doctor made sure of that, but it came at a price. And the payment was her own ever increasing feelings of emptiness, of hunger that no food would satisfy. While she was human, she felt desire only for the love of her life. But lately, any attractive person or bright aura would turn her head and thoughts to _feeding,_ in every way possible. Now knew how her lover felt when she had tried so valiantly and futilely to remain faithful to a human when they were together in the past. Lauren had no idea how she would break it to the Queen of the fae that she had made a serious miscalculation in her bid to make herself immortal.

As she slowly and gently extricated herself from her partner's embrace, the shame of her using Hades' advice came flooding back to her. She shouldn't have trusted him; she knew that both then and now. He had seemed so knowledgeable and earnest in his eagerness to help. But evil only serves its own ends, and now she needed to think about what he had hoped to gain by helping her make herself fae before she could tell Bo that they were merely exchanging energy rather than feeding each other. A perpetual motion machine was a theoretical impossibility, and sooner rather than later – they would need an outside energy source to keep going. And that would mean that one, or both of them, would have to feed off of other people to stay healthy. Lauren had tried to broach the subject once, but Bo had gushed about how awesome it was that they could be mutually exclusive to each other and how that kept her from falling prey to her father's attempts at manipulating her into using her powers to rule the fae. The daughter of Hades was adamant that she would be a force for _good,_ and the doctor's love kept her grounded in her humanity, and her humility.

Lauren put on one of Bo's robes and made her way softly downstairs to the kitchen. Dyson and Kenzi had spoke of how Bo had wolfed down a plethora of high calorie snack foods and energy bars in her failed attempt to maintain her energy without feeding off of others. It was worth a try right now, until she could sort out what to do to resolve the situation. But the doctor's habits of healthy eating came back to bite her in the ass as she had cleared out the kitchen of empty calorie snacks and chemical ridden ready-to-eat foods when she had moved in with her lover. "Shit!" she whispered quietly to herself, as she contemplated the unlikelihood of going out at 3:00 am and successfully finding a victim to satisfy her needs. As a doctor, she felt guilty enough as it was taking small wisps of chi surreptitiously from her fae patients at the clinic. But it was never enough; Bo was insatiable, and keeping her satisfied was important if she wanted to maintain the illusion until she found a good way to tell her the truth. She needed to feed, and doing so without having sex with people was going to be a steep learning curve.

While she mulled over eating the entire box of Sugar in the Raw to keep her hunger at bay at least long enough to get a good night's sleep, a loud noise from the loft startled her. It was the Valkyrie screaming in an unknown language. She was undoubtedly experiencing another one of her night terrors, and the thought that it might wake the brunette succubus launched the doctor up the stairs as fast as her feet could take her. Once she reached the door to Kenzi's old room, however, the screaming faded into soft murmuring. Dr. Lewis slowly opened the door and peered inside to check on her patient. The Christmas lights that Kenzi had left strung around the room year-round cast a warm glow on the woman lying on the bed. Clad only in a tank top and underwear, the fading scars earned in her recent battle were clearly visible. Lauren made her way over to her and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. It was her duty as a physician to make sure her patient was resting comfortably while she convalesced, she rationalized.

Tamsin seemed to be in the ethereal state between wakefulness and sleep as she briefly partially opened her bleary, unseeing eyes and mumbled to her uninvited guest, "Sorry, dimmmt mnnn ahh loud. Ttsss over." The Valkyrie was covered in sweat even though it was decidedly cool in the room and had kicked the sheets and blanket off of her body and into a pile at the foot of the small bed.

Noticing the ear buds of the mp3 player the sleeping woman was wearing, Lauren laughed softly at the partially incoherent apology. She gently removed them, feeling a slight pang of guilt over her contribution to the extremely vociferous lovemaking that had necessitated her wearing them to sleep in the first place. "You won't need these anymore; Bo's sleeping." She explained when the Valkyrie suddenly jolted wide awake at the unexpected touch.

Tamsin grunted in acknowledgment before closing her eyes again, turning away from the doctor to lay on her side and nestle deeper into her worn pillow.

Lauren had expected a lurid insinuation or at least a snarky off-the-cuff dismissal in reply. Dr. Lewis initially chalked up her patient's out-of-character behavior as simple exhaustion, until she considered how she had acted when she first emerged from her coma that morning. Bo had immediately and forcefully demanded her to reveal the identity of her attacker, to which the Valkyrie gave no answer. She merely stared silently at her former lover with a forlorn expression. Dyson had been more diplomatic in his inquiries, and in reward for his gentle probing received a smile and the only answer the Valkyrie would ever offer on the subject, "It doesn't matter." Bo had seethed at Tamsin's refusal to answer, but when she launched into an angry diatribe recounting the injured woman's past sins and debt to her family, Lauren gently stopped her with firm grip on her arm and knowing look. They all suspected who did this to the powerful Valkyrie – the only person that was powerful enough to have done it. And the good doctor was equally sure she knew why Tamsin refused to name him. The succubus grimaced, but dropped the subject at her girlfriend's subtle entreaty. She nodded to Lauren before leaving the room, telling her wounded guest she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted. The shifter sighed in commiseration with Tamsin, patting her hand gently. As he took his leave he promised to return with her favorite foods and liquor, pointedly telling the doctor she should allow the Valkyrie to indulge in her unhealthy treats at the expense of going against her medical expertise.

Mulling over the memories of the previous morning brought Dr. Lewis' thoughts back to her own hunger. There, on the nightstand next to the half-empty bottle of vodka was an unopened box of Lucky Charms and a substantial pile of various candy bars. Before she could decide if she should ask her roommate's permission or just grab the goodies and leave, she suddenly remembered the mp3 player in her hand, still pumping driving rhythms and ethereal sounds through the tiny speakers attached to it. The strange sounds were vaguely familiar, and in curiosity she read the song information. "Wow, this band really takes me back." she softly reminisced aloud, more to herself than the other woman. She smiled; her own roommate in college had used the same music to lull herself to sleep when Lauren's habit of late night studying had made getting any rest in the tiny room they shared nearly impossible. Her roommate had laughed at the future doctor's apologies and scoffed at Lauren's offer to study elsewhere in the wee hours of the morning. Cat, the roomie, had declared the room belonged to both of them and it was easier to work on overcoming their differences rather than highlighting them by imposing on each other. And they _had_ been so very different, the shy studious blonde and her gregarious red-haired party-girl roommate. But they did click, and the memories were fond ones. Lauren turned off the player and set it on the nightstand before reaching over and pulling the sheets and blanket over her briefly forgotten patient. The cold sweat brought on by the Valkyrie's obvious PTSD driven night terror was drying, and the night was growing ever chillier.

"Thanks, mom." Tamisn intoned dryly, eyes still closed but with a tiniest hint of a smile.

The unexpected reply shocked Lauren into blurting out an equally sarcastic quip, "Yeah, well, you're welcome. But I'm not your mother. And if I was, I would probably take you over my knee and blister your behind for all the mischief you've caused!"

The Valkyrie still didn't move nor open her eyes, but her expression broke into a full-blown grin as she mused, "Mmmm, promises, promises, Lewis!"

Dr. Lewis laughed heartily at the fact that she had gotten her friend to come back to herself, if only for a moment. Tamsin had been uncharacteristically silent and brooding all day, giving only polite yet concise answers to questions asked of her, when she bothered to answer them at all. Knowing the Valkyrie as she did and given all that had happened recently, it certainly was understandable. But Lauren was still in the dark as to what exactly what was said between Bo and her former roommate to drive her away from her free lodging and what had happened at Zee's apartment when Tamsin was alone with the ancient fae and her husband. And there was still a slight uncertainty in her mind as to who had attacked the Valkyrie, given that Bo had adamantly refuted the claim that her father acted against her wishes. Lauren sighed, her hunger once again forcing her to focus on her own immediate problem. She gently laid a hand on the Valkyrie's arm to gain her full attention, trying desperately to resist the impulse to venture into territory that was conventionally reserved for touches that were more than just friendly in nature. She was so _hungry._

" _Tamsin_ ," she began hesitantly, "I need to ask you something…"

As she paused to decide what exactly she was going to ask of the Valkyrie, Tamsin abruptly rolled over to face her, throwing the warm sheet and blanket aside. With an irritated expression she chimed in, "Dr. Lewis, I am _tired!_ What do you _want?!"_

Lauren was taken aback at the unexpectedly energetic response, and turned away while closing her eyes with a smirk at her own lack of tact. Nodding, she opened her eyes again and faced the exasperated woman while giving her an honest answer, "Sorry, it's just…I'm so hungry and…" the doctor gestured with both hands at the cornucopia of snacks on the nightstand, but her eyes roved lustfully over the nearly nude woman before her. "…it all just looks sooo….appetizing…?"she concluded lamely, her voice squeaking a bit at the word 'appetizing.'

The prone woman's face flashed over a myriad of conflicting emotions as she took in not only the doctor's words, but her wandering eyes. When those lustful eyes finally met her own surprised ones, her expression settled on despair as she answered sadly, "Of course. I am indebted to both you and Bo. Take what you need, Dr. Lewis. I don't mind."

"Ahhhh,….OK…I'll just…umm…" the shorter blonde was struggling, not only with what she should do, but also what to say now that she was afraid the Valkyrie might have somehow sensed her sexual desires and her answer was a double entendre. It would be just like the snarky woman to answer in kind to a statement that clearly had a double meaning, after all. But something was still off about her – a sadness and resignation Lauren would have never thought she was even capable of before. Settling on the safest bet to the meaning of her words, the doctor smirked and collected up the sugary cereal and a handful of candy bars before rising to leave the room. As she juggled her booty to shut the door behind her, Lauren turned back and thanked her guest. "Thank you, Tamsin. Get some rest. I'll pay you back tomorrow, I promise."

Tamsin laughed silently through her nose with her lips tightly pulled into a grim smile. "There's no need, Lewis. Good night." She drew the covers back over herself and turned away from the door and her late night visitor.

The doctor guiltily made her way down the stairs, and with foresight of thought, headed straight for the bathroom to stash a few of her energy-packed snacks for future use after the inevitable morning bedroom antics with her girlfriend. As she looked around for hiding places in the dark room, she inadvertently caught a reflection of light in the bathroom mirror out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, she turned to face the mirror full-on, and quickly realized the cause of the Valkyrie's cryptic behavior towards her. Staring back at her were brightly glowing blue eyes.

Tamsin _knew._

"Shit!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading, folks.**

Chapter 2: Dimly Aware of a Certain Unease in the Air

Late the next afternoon, Dyson entered the crack shack with a loud and jovial greeting. It wasn't occasioned by the fact that he was feeling particularly happy, but more to let the residents know it was a friendly intrusion and not another surprise attack by one of their many enemies. As he set the bags of groceries he was carrying down on the counter in the kitchen, he heard the hurried clomping of someone making their way downstairs. "Dyson! Just in time! It's movie night!" Bo announced excitedly to him as she made her way into the kitchen, beaming with happiness. She gave him a friendly peck on the cheek before she searched through the bags he had brought in with him. Not finding what she was looking for, she mockingly pouted holding one of many bottles of the only alcohol she had discovered, "What, no Dark Belch? You know how much I hate drinking vodka!"

"It's for Tamsin." He firmly informed her, taking the bottle away from her. "How is she?" he asked with honest concern in his voice.

The succubus huffed in exasperation at the question before answering with her hands thrown up to emphasize her own frustration with the wounded Valkyrie, "How should I know?!" He tilted his head, suspecting she may have been avoiding the injured Valkyrie for obvious, yet unspoken reasons. And she understood the silent accusation, emphatically defending herself, "I've tried, Dyson, but she won't even talk to me! The only people who seem to be able to get more than a 'yes' or 'no' out of her is you and Lauren!"

The shifter rubbed his beard thoughtfully before offering her a response, "Have you tried _listening_ to her, Bo?" Although his tone was soft and contemplative, the brunette took immediate offense to the question.

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean, Dyson?" she hissed angrily. Of course she listened to people; she was a good person – a 'people' person. But as soon as the words had spilled out of her mouth, she remembered Tamsin telling her on their mission to save Kenzi, " _…but you're not really listening…"_ Her face fell out of its angry countenance and into an expression of realization. Being the only person to believe that Kenzi had been abducted despite her own sworn mission to imprison the succubus, the Valkyrie had spoken volumes to her without uttering a single word. And when she did find the courage to give voice to her feelings, they had been immediately dismissed without a second thought. Tamsin _loved._ She knew it now, and she knew it then. But she couldn't think about it, and her thoughts glossed over the epiphany quickly to other traits of the Valkyrie. Tamsin was just a good time, an honest, bitchy friend to lean on when needed. An all you can eat buffet with no strings attached. Admiting she usesd the Valkyrie's devotion to her while callously ignoring the blonde's feelings would be aknowledging the darker part of her nature she fought so hard to deny.

Noticing the sudden change in his former girlfriend's attitude, Dyson gently and knowingly continued, "She's hurt, Bo. You can't expect her to get over it immediately because it would make you feel better if she did. Let her find her feet in her own time."

"OK, fine! You're right. But what are we going to drink?" she conceded, slapping her hands on the counter in defeat and pressing on with her plans for the evening. Anything was worth delving further into the topic of whether or not the Valkyrie was even capable of love.

" **You.** What are _you_ going to drink, is the question. Sorry, but I have plans. You three will have to excuse me tonight." He said with a grin that spread rapidly across his face despite his best efforts to contain it.

Again, Bo was slightly offended. "Seriously! You're ditching your family on _movie night?_ _ **Please**_ tell me it's work related and not because of a certain human woman you have stashed at your gym! Dyson, that is a train wreck in the making! Her _husband_ is still alive!"

It was now the wolf's turn to take offense. He had been tested to the limits of his patience, and his budding affection for Hera's vessel's wife was a topic he wasn't ready to discuss with his former girlfriend. Swallowing down his anger born of indignation, he told her as calmly as he could, "That's really none of your business. Especially since you have your own mess to clean up." His raised eyebrows informed her that he would brook no further discussion on the subject.

They glared at each other, neither willing to admit their own misjudgments when the impasse was thankfully broken by Lauren walking through the front door toting a reusable shopping bag. "Movie night and the gang's all here!" She gave her girlfriend a loud and exaggerated smooch on the cheek in greeting before she noticed the tension in the air and asked, "Sorry; am I interrupting something?"

Bo was the first to answer, shaking her head in denial and soothing her lover, "No…it's nothing." She kissed her in return, but on the lips this time, before taking the bag from her and shifting gears smoothly, "Ooohhh, what did you bring me? Dark Belch! I _love_ you!" She placed the beer on the counter and rummaged through the other contents, finding only microwave popcorn, a box of Capt'n Crunch, and a plethora of candy bars and other sweets. It was inexplicable as Dr. Lewis had made her stance on junk food clear long ago. "What the hell…"she began until the doctor cut her off.

"Oh, those are for Tamsin." Bo gave her a confused look. Lauren had been at work all day, and as far as Bo knew, the injured house guest had slept most of the day away and not bothered anyone with requests for anything. She certainly hadn't asked the succubus, and had in fact politely and curtly declined her host's offers to bring her food. And there was still a pile of candy bars Dyson had given her, uneaten, on her nightstand when she last checked a few hours ago. Lauren cleared her throat and tried to explain, "Ah…I know she has a penchant for eating sugary foods, and she needs energy right now. To recover." She nodded affirmatively as she finished, needing only to convince herself of the validity of her explanation. It was all too plausible to everyone else that Tamsin would be the one who craved junk food. However, in truth she herself had already wolfed down a considerable amount of the sugary treats before entering the dilapidated house Bo called home, and stopped at a gas station to dispose of the wrappers. The sugar rush did take the edge off her hunger, and as long as there wasn't going to be an extended feeding session tonight, everything would be all right.

Her lover smiled affectionately at her consideration for their friend. "You are so thoughtful. Maybe you can convince Tamsin to come down and join us for movie night, if she's feeling up to it." She suggested kindly before adding more seductively, "…and then later…" Bo stepped closer to her girlfriend and began nibbling on her shoulder slowly moving her way up her slender neck.

 _I'm doomed!_ Lauren thought. She moved away excusing herself, "I should go check on my patient. She nearly died, after all."

Dyson, who had been ignored once the doctor made her entrance, chimed in softly yet unexpectedly, "I'll go with you, Lauren." He took the box of popcorn out of the doctor's grocery bag and set it on the counter, replacing it with the bottle of liquor in his hand. Gathering up the handles of the bag he set out for the staircase with Lauren in tow. The doctor paused briefly and threw a warm smile at Bo over her shoulder as she made her way up to the attic.

"Door's open." was the answer from inside the room to the shifter's soft rapping. The two visitors made their way inside and over to the convalescing Valkyrie's side. She was sitting up in the bed, flexing her arms and looking over her rapidly fading scars. Apparently, she was trying to assess the progress of her own recovery objectively despite being under the care of a live-in physician.

"Don't hurt us! We come bearing gifts!" Dyson loudly announced jokingly. The tall blonde responded happily, with a fit of genuine laughter followed by a warm smile in greeting.

Dr. Lewis, however, was the consummate professional. She was also eager to forget the events of the previous evening and move past them. She felt certain her patient felt the same as she once again sat on the edge of the bed while Dyson set the bottle of vodka on her nightstand and placed the bag on the floor next to the bed. "How are you feeling today, Tamsin? Are you still having any pain?" she asked earnestly.

"Only when I laugh." she smirked, eying the wolf with sparkling eyes in a non-verbal indictment.

He scoffed in mock outrage, placing his free hand up to his neckline while declaring in a comically falsetto voice, "Clutches pearls; vous accuse – moi?!"

"Oui, j'accuse!" they both giggled at their shared irreverence.

The doctor, however, was not amused at the former partners' ridiculous banter when there were serious issues to discuss. "Ok, ok, can we please stick to the matter at hand without the juvenile locker room boding with each other? I am Tamsin's physician, and her recovery is my priority. I need…" She snapped before trailing off. Dyson had placed his hand on the doctor's shoulder and squeezed it gently as she was speaking in a silent plea for her to be less harsh to the heartbroken woman. But his entreaty came too late for the Valkyrie to be unaffected by Lauren's critical words.

The Valkyrie cleared her throat, and her playful mood vanished with the action. "Sorry Lewis. I didn't mean to upset you." She intoned seriously. Pissing off the girlfriend of her host and former lover could bring unpleasant attentions from the succubus that Tamsin wanted to avoid.

"No, Tamsin…I'm sorry. I just…I've been under a lot of stress lately." She admitted, realizing that laughter may have been the best medicine in this situation. But the sight of the semi-nude Valkyrie writhing on the bed and giggling peaked interest in her she didn't have when she was human. She didn't know how to control it.

Looking at her own hands in her lap, her patient smiled knowingly while replying, "We all have."

Dr. Lewis grinned and started the conversation over, "Listen, I need to give you a quick check up, and then why don't you join us downstairs for family movie night. Your choice, tonight! Even if it's the goriest, most vulgar thing ever filmed." She rolled her eyes in a pretty good impersonation of the Valkyrie, which Dyson must have picked up on as he was snickering into the hand covering his face.

Tamsin looked up cheerfully at the declaration, "OK, I'd like that. Zombie Strippers?" she asked hopefully, before she turned to the shifter as a sudden thought occurred to her, "Wait it's Dyson's turn to pick the movie, isn't it?"

Dyson had silently watched the exchange between the two women, instinctively sensing there was an underlying subtext going on, but unable to put his finger on just what that might be. He perked up once his name was mentioned, and politely declined the offer to choose the movie, "Sorry partner, I won't be able to make it tonight. Zombie Strippers it is; and I'll take a rain check for choice of movie next time."

Tamsin's face fell at the knowledge that her former partner wouldn't be joining them in their family time this evening. It was already going to be awkward as fuck sitting on the couch together as if nothing of emotional consequence had transpired between the four of them, but whittling the group down to the three women only increased the Valkyrie's trepidation when it came to spending 'quality' time with them. She glanced at the doctor, and saw the same emotion reflected in the brown eyes staring back at her. Lauren offered a grim smile that told her she knew how she felt, but it was time for all of them to put the past behind them and move forward for the greater good of the family. The Valkyrie nodded understandingly in resignation. She was ready to move on as well.

Lauren got up abruptly, breaking the somber mood by announcing she was going to get her medical bag. Once she had left the room, Dyson turned back to his companion to converse more seriously with her, "You alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine - just a little sore. I'll be good as new in a couple of days. I haven't taken a beating like that in centuries." She replied, ignoring the implied meaning of his question.

"That's not what I meant." He pursued.

"I know."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Lauren breezed through the doorway with her medical bag at that moment, and Tamsin's eyes followed her movements as she answered the shifter, "Nnnooooooo, not really."

The doctor smiled at the pair and shooed the shifter away to replace him at the Valkyrie's side. She sat on the bed, placing the bag on the bed next to her. Dyson's gaze darted between the two women, as he tried to sort out the strange dynamics of their relationship. But once Dr. Lewis lifted the back of Tamsin's shirt to place her stethoscope under it and onto the bare skin of the Valkyrie's back, he decided now would be a good time to leave. "OK, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow, Tamsin."

"What, you're gonna skip out on another chance to see me naakkked?" she teased with a scrunched nose, until the cold instrument touched her bare skin and she jumped at the contact. "Damnit Lewis! Next time…" she didn't get to finish the thought as the doctor was anxiously refuting her claim that she would soon be in a state of undress.

"No, no, not naked! You don't need to take off any…" Lauren hurriedly interrupted.

"Lewis… **LEWIS!** " Tamsin shouted her down, staring at the physician in curiosity over her shoulder. Once she got her attention, she explained, "It was a _joke._ " The Valkyrie raised her eyebrows to convey the truth behind her words.

Dr. Lewis opened her eyes wide, "Aahhhh…right…" Nodding, she closed her eyes as a smug smile spread across her face. Of course it was a joke. Tamsin and Dyson tease each other; it's what they do. She looked up at each of them in turn and began haltingly, "Sorry, I….it's…my mistake."

The wolf turned his head away politely as he snickered softly, but the Valkyrie merely turned back around to face her former partner and give him a glare that would preemptively put a stop to any smart-ass comment on the exchange he might be thinking of voicing. After he collected himself and caught Tamsin's eyes he accurately read her unspoken communication to him, and took his leave. "Look at the time! Got to go!" Once he reached the doorway, he turned and graced them with a slight bow and sweep of his arms, "Ladies…" before he was off and down the stairs.

Tamsin slowly let out the breath she wasn't aware she was holding. When the doctor asked her to take another deep breath and hold it, she rolled her eyes but did as she was asked. After Lauren was satisfied that the injuries to the Valkyrie's lungs were fully healed, she moved to sit in front of her patient and examine her scars. The tall blonde politely looked away when she noticed the doctor's hands were trembling as she touched her nearly healed wounds. The doctor was thankful that her patient was trying to make this easier for her. "You heal very quickly." Lauren noted aloud. Even though her hunger was manageable earlier, touching the barely clothed beautiful woman was bringing it to the forefront of her thoughts once again.

The Valkyrie kept staring off in the distance as she agreed in a monotone, "Yeah, I do."

Dr. Lewis sighed and removed her hands from her patient. She needed to ask something of Tamsin for her own research, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. Deciding that since the Valkyrie was always blunt even to the point of rudeness, she got right to the point. "Tamsin…" Lauren began, placing a hand on the Valkyrie's bare thigh just below faded and worn cut-off shorts she was wearing.

Tamsin snapped her head around at the contact, eyes wide at a sudden and strange sensation she hadn't felt in the doctor's touches before jolted through her nervous system once Lauren's hand had grasped her leg. The doctor, for her part, seemed to be aware she had just done _something_ , and was equally surprised by it. It wasn't a strong or painful feeling, and though faint it was… _there_. Lauren snatched her hand back and returned the taller blonde's wide eyed gaze. It seemed she wasn't fully aware of the extent of her new powers or how to control them, and the fear in her eyes confirmed it.

"You wanted to ask me something?" the Valkyrie whispered, giving Dr. Lewis an opportunity to ignore what had just happened and carry their conversation forward.

Lauren took that chance and asked, "I need to know - how do Valkyrie feed and heal?"

That certainly surprised her companion, if her face contorted almost painfully in an expression of shock and incredulity with a hint of indignation was any indication. She said nothing, and simply stared at her companion as she gradually softened her expression and leaned back into the pillows propped against the headboard. Breathing out a deep breath slowly through her nostrils, she broke away from the doctor's gaze and reached for a candy bar and bottle of vodka on the nightstand. As began to eat and drink, still silently regarding her inquisitor, Lauren decided to throw in the towel. "Ok, sorry. I should have known your blood would for-"

Angry shouting drifting up from downstairs interrupted her. Dyson and Bo were going at it as the simmering tension between them apparently boiled over into a full-blown shouting match. Dr. Lewis sighed; being with Bo was seriously hard work. "Stay here." She instructed her patient as she got up to diffuse the argument going on downstairs

"Ggrraadryy." The Valkyrie shot back around a mouthful of candy bar as she looked at the doctor in relief. She would rather attempt to trim her toenails with an 18" chainsaw than try to get between the angry succubus and her former lover, and her face expressed the sentiment far more clearly than her garbled answer. Lauren smiled grimly in solidarity as she made her way quickly down the stairs. It wasn't the Valkyrie's responsibility to keep Bo grounded in her humanity anymore; it was hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for reading, folks.**

Chapter 3: Miners of Truth and Delusion

By the time Lauren had made her way into the kitchen to break up the argument between Bo and Dyson, it was over. He was already heading out the front door, which he slammed behind him. The succubus was quietly simmering in barely controlled rage by the counter; hands crossed over her chest as she breathed heavily and stared at the door the shifter had just exited through. Lauren walked up to her slowly, noting that her girlfriend seemed to be unaware of her presence. Just before she was within arm's reach of her, she called out softly, "Bo, is everything all right? We heard shouting from down here."

The succubus whirled around in shock, her expression one of surprise and regret before melting into a false smile, "Sorry, babe. It's just…Dyson can be so stubborn, and…"

"What happened, Bo?" Lauren interrupted her dismissal. Her curiosity wasn't driven by jealousy – there was no doubt in her mind that both Bo and Dyson had moved on with their love lives and their closeness was platonic in nature, especially since Alicia landed in the wolf's life. But honesty in a relationship was important, and something that affected the succubus enough to inspire such a display obviously merited sharing with a life partner. And Dyson was her friend, too. Now that there was already a rift between Tamsin and her girlfriend, it was especially important to work on group cohesion in order to fight the dangerous enemies still on the loose. But Bo, who demanded truth from her friends and family, seemed unable to respond in kind at the moment.

"Nothing, Lauren! He just…he won't...You know how he can be sometimes; he takes things too personally!" The brunette was apparently frustrated by something important to her, yet oddly unwilling to share exactly what it was. It was troubling to Lauren; she suspected something more important than a simple frivolous quarrel between ex-lovers that started as quickly as it was forgiven. No, this was something deeper; she suspected from experience that only lies or betrayal could throw the succubus into such a state.

"Bo, I think…" Lauren began before being abruptly shutdown.

"Please babe!" she gripped her lover's shoulders to punctuate the point she wanted to make, "please let it go for right now! I promise we'll discuss it later; I just want things to be the way they used to be for one night. To forget our problems and just enjoy ourselves!" Her dark brown eyes searched Lauren's for any hint of understanding and concession – and her girlfriend acquiesced, albeit conditionally. She had taken a Hippocratic vow, after all, and wanted to make sure her patient was not the cause of additional strife within the family group.

"OK. OK, fine. But tell me one thing at least – is this about Tamsin staying here?" Her girlfriend relaxed her grasp and leaned away with a confused expression that forced the doctor to explain herself, "Because if you or Dyson are concerned about that, we have room at the clinic. I can move her there tonight. I don't think…"

Bo's laughter stopped her attempt at resolution of the mysterious source of discord, and Dr. Lewis's words died as she waited to be let in on the joke her lover found so funny. "Oh shit, sorry! I'm sorry Lauren." The succubus cleared her throat and gently took the doctor's face into both of her hands and looked her in the eyes earnestly before declaring, "This had NOTHING to do with Tamsin being here. There was never anything serious between us. You know that. She is just…delusional. And she needs to stay here, if she wants to keep breathing. At least for now."

Lauren closed her eyes and sighed, nodding her head still loosely held by her girlfriend. She had hoped that was the issue, and Bo would have jumped at the chance to remove the Valkyrie from the household and her temptation should her own hunger reach an unmanageable level. But the succubus' casual dismissal of the true depths of their guest's feelings added to her worries. They had all recognized how much the usually cold and snarky woman doted on Bo. But despite her own trepidation, she gave in to her girlfriend's desires to ignore the issues for the time being, and simply enjoy a family evening together – the three of them. Loving Bo had never been easy, and she remembered that now. But they all needed a break from their problems; Bo was right on the money about that. "Ok. Let's watch _Zombie Strippers_. Tamsin picked it. It's her turn."

Bo dropped her hands to Lauren's waist and stepped closer, "Well, that _will_ be a problem. That was Kenzi's movie, and she took it with her when she left." Lauren looked at her in disappointment, and her girlfriend mistook the implication, "No, that's good! We can watch a romcom now! A movie about love, to celebrate us getting back together! _Pretty Woman_ , maybe?" she added hopefully.

Dr. Lewis hesitated, "Well, maybe…I don't know…Ok!" she caved in, finally, to the adorable faux pouting Bo was giving her while she was trying to decide what to say. It earned her a passionate kiss she regretfully pulled away from before it progressed into Bo pulling chi from her. The brunette succubus had a notoriously bottomless appetite for life force energy. Knowing that, it again sparked her curiosity as to how the Valkyrie could satisfy it so effortlessly all the more intriguing when even Dyson said the succubus often tired him to the point of exhaustion when they were together. "OK, OK. Let's get this show on the road – pop some popcorn, cue up the movie, and I'll roust the Valkyrie." The doctor said with a smirk.

Her lover released her, "Right! Let's do this! Just like old times, only better - because we are back together!" she laughed at her own rhyme, and Lauren joined in with the joke, giggling with her. When their shared laughter died away, they both noticed the soft tinkling sounds of cereal hitting the bottom of a glass bowl and turned to investigate.

Tamsin, barefoot and still clad only in her form-fitting tank and threadbare Daisy Dukes had padded into the kitchen unnoticed by the lovers until now. Lauren and Bo smirked in amusement at each other before silently watching the display before them. In her conscious effort to ignore the romantic antics of her hosts, the Valkyrie was unaware that they both were now observing her. She pulled the milk from the refrigerator, singing and humming softly along with the music playing on her mp3 player, "Una paloma blanca…humm, mmmm, hum – bbllaaaahhhhcckk." Her merry sing along ended when she noticed the 'milk' was actually a soy substitute, and she gave a sour face and expression of gagging in disgust as she rolled her eyes and replaced it without pouring any into her bowl.

Noticing the paper grocery bags Dyson had left on the counter, Tamsin pulled a bottle of vodka out. With a shrug of her shoulders and a merry hum to herself, she opted out of her meal of sugary cereal in favor of a liquid diet and opened the bottle. "Oh yeaahhh, baby!" When she finished drinking a substantial portion of the vodka in a single draft, her eyes grew wide at the sight of the two women staring at her. They were trying desperately not to laugh out loud at the Valkyrie's kitchen hijinks, and only partially succeeding. The scene would have been familiar to any parent of adolescent children who had caught them unawares acting in an uninhibited expression of child-like exuberance of which they were obviously ashamed. Tamsin was no exception. She set her bottle on the counter and removed her ear buds. "Can I help you?" she asked with irritated sarcasm, eager to just _get the fuck away_ from them.

Lauren tried, but failed to deliver the diplomatic answer she had cued up in her mind and settled on turning her head and disguising her laughter in a cough. Bo was much better at this sort of thing and cleared her throat as she smoothly steered the conversation away from the awkward moment. "Tamsin, I'm sorry, but Kenzi took the _Zombie Strippers_ movie with her as well as most of our horror movie collection."

"Nnnoooo! I wanted to watch the zombies dance for a fee and devour people for free!" she threw her head back and whined at the ceiling in disappointment, referencing the campy tag line for the B-movie. "Well, what the hell _are_ we going to watch then?" she asked as she snapped her attention back to the succubus and glared at her. She apparently assumed that the pair had already picked out something else to view – something she was sure she would find loathsome if the brunette was reading her expression correctly.

"Well, Lauren and I have decided we should watch _Pretty Woman."_ The Valkyrie rolled her eyes in disgust at this, so Bo explained further, "You can get some movies next week and we'll watch whatever you want next time. Promise." The succubus smiled; seemingly pleased with herself for keeping the peace after failing to do so with the shifter.

But the Valkyrie was not thinking along those lines anymore, she was mulling over the possible reasons the succubus might have for insisting on watching the shitty fairytale romance when it was her turn to pick the movie for family night. She had always invited herself into Bo's family's company, ignoring the conversations that suddenly stopped at her appearance, the irritated glances, and the snarky comments. Maybe this was a hint that she was unwelcome and the two lovers were too polite to uninvite her; not that she was looking forward to sitting on the couch with the person she loved and watch her drool all over someone else, anyway. And recent events lent credence to this theory – being forgotten at Zee's, the lack of concern for her safety, and the group pairing off leaving her alone after she brought a comatose Hera to the clinic.

Bo broke her out of her reverie, slightly surprised that the Valkyrie hadn't launched into a foul-mouthed tantrum over the choice of movie. "Tamsin?"

"Huh?"

"You can pick the movie next week, OK?" the succubus assured her gently.

Tamsin gave her best fake smile to the pair, "Ah…yeah…sure. Whatever. Anyways, I'm kinda tired right now, so…" She had no desire to be there tonight, or 'next time,' but thought it best to play along with the 'happy family' charade for now while politely excusing herself.

But Bo was insistent, "No, Tamsin. You're part of the family! It's our night to spend time together, just like old times!" Her brown eyes pleaded the blonde to join them just as they had silently begged the love sick Valkyrie to take back her declaration of love. Nothing would be 'just like old times' anymore. The Valkyrie knew it, and when she looked to Lauren to intervene on her behalf like a player called out at first base might appeal to the home plate umpire, she saw commiseration with her own feelings. But despite her expression that told she felt otherwise, the doctor closed her eyes and nodded slightly in agreement with her girlfriend. The newly repaired relationship between the two wasn't worth the risk of a spat over siding with the mercurial Valkyrie, and the doctor would not oppose Bo on anything until she felt secure enough to be totally honest with her. Bo needed to know her family was still there for her, and tonight was supposed to be a break - for all of them.

Tamsin sighed in resignation. "OK, fine." She picked up her bottle and headed for the couch until Dr. Lewis stopped her with a plea of her own.

"Uh…may I suggest showering first?" she smirked to the Valkyrie.

She stopped and lifted each arm in turn, critically smelling her arm pits. "Ughh, good call, Lewis." The Valkyrie marched over to the shorter blonde before adding, "and may I suggest you start drinking heavily." She shoved the bottle into her chest forcing the doctor to grasp it reflexively, "you're gonna need it if you want to make it through that sappy ass movie without slitting your own wrists." Lauren wasn't quite sure if the taller blonde had blinked or winked at her very subtly as she turned and headed up the stairs.

* * *

The Valkyrie was taking her sweet time showering and changing, in hopes that the pair of lovers would forget about her and start the movie without her. The succubus, however, was determined to re-connect with her dwindling family. She needed them now more than ever. After calling loudly up the stairs for her to hurry up several times, she jokingly hollered out a threat that she would drag her down by her golden locks if she didn't show up in five minutes.

That got the desired result; the blonde stomped down the stairs wearing baggy sweats, grumbling and rolling her eyes as Bo gleefully started the movie. Lauren was already sitting at the far right of the couch as Tamsin took her place on the opposite end, a bottle of vodka in each hand. When the succubus bounced over to cuddle up next to her girlfriend, the doctor couldn't help but notice how the taller blonde seemed to be trying to press herself farther into the arm of the couch and away from the pair at the other end of the sofa. As Bo and Lauren grew immersed in each other and the movie, Tamsin pulled out her phone and began texting and surfing the web, happy to be ignored by the pair. But by the time the movie was half-way over, her bliss at going unnoticed was quashed when the tipsy brunette stretched out on the couch and put her feet on the petulant Valkyrie's lap as she had done so many times in the past. Bo was apparently in a playful mood and intent on ignoring everything that had happened between them. Tamsin merely raised an eyebrow at her before turning back to her phone.

But the succubus was determined to have fun tonight, even at the Valkyrie's expense. She pushed at the blonde's arms to get her attention and laughingly berated her, "You're not even watching the movie, Tammy! Come on, you might learn something about love!"

Tammy, however, wasn't in a playful mood, and refused the offer to gain more insight into the nature of love without looking away from her phone, "Oh, I've already learned more than I ever wanted to about love. Anymore 'lessons' might just kill me."

Bo ignored the obvious meaning of her words and continued to press her, with both her feet and her words, "But it's a beautiful romance, with a happy ending! It'll make you feel good!" She wanted Tamsin to rub her aching feet, as she had done so many times before, enjoy herself, and be happy for her and Lauren.

"No, it's bullshit. And I am already well-versed in bullshit; I don't need any further instruction on recognizing it when I see it or smell it. And this movie makes _me_ feel like _**shit**_ _._ " With that, she shoved the succubus' feet off her lap and, grapping her remaining bottle of vodka, made her way up the stairs without responding to the brunette's objections.

This time, Lauren did move to intervene on the Valkyrie's behalf. Bo's willful blindness of the Valkyrie's heartbreak and Tamsin's pridefully stubborn determination not to show how hurt she truly feels could result in an epic showdown between the powerful fae. "Bo, let her go." She said softly with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Lauren, she is acting childish! Why can't she sit through our movie like we sat through hers?" Bo asked her in frustration.

Her girlfriend quickly weighed her options before answering; should she point out the truth that Tamsin's fit had nothing to do with the movie, or play along with Bo's theory that her tantrum was motivated by her disappointment in not being able to watch what she wanted tonight? The succubus was obviously trying to live in the past as everyone else struggled to move forward. She decided to put forward a third option that was at least a partial truth, "She's been through a lot recently, Bo. She's not feeling well and probably grouchy because she is overly tired."

Bo sighed, "You're probably right. She is not a morning person _at all!_ I'll talk to her in the tomorrow."

They cuddled closer to finish the movie, their family night roster now down to the two of them. Tomorrow they would confront their problems head on; Bo would look for Zee and Lauren would look for answers to her own dilemma. But they wouldn't talk with the Valkyrie. She was gone before they woke early the next morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Thank God it's a real Friday, been a long two week stint at work. Read, rant, review as you see fit. Have a good weekend, ya'll.**

Chapter 4: What Shall We Use to Fill the Empty Spaces

Lauren's hunger was no more than a mild pang as she made her way downstairs the next morning after her shower to inform her girlfriend that their guest had left sometime the night before, talking all of her meager belongings with her. But her plans to discuss the topics she had put off the night before where once again placed on the back burner when she realized Bo had company. She was talking calmly and seriously with the shifter over a mug of steaming coffee. It seems whatever had upset them earlier was no longer an issue between the pair, or at least something more urgent had occurred that necessitated declaring a truce. As she walked up and kissed her lover 'good morning,' the wolf cheerfully greeted her and offered to pour her a cup of coffee, which she gratefully accepted. From the tone of their interrupted conversation and the smiles she was graced with by the pair, Lauren guessed that both of her suppositions were correct.

"Hey Lauren, how's your patient? Is she ready for a mission?" Bo asked happily.

"Uh, yeah…Well, I'm not really sure about that. She's not here. I think she took off sometime last night." The doctor informed them, frowning in worry.

"Great! Just when we need her!" the succubus threw her hands up in frustration.

Dyson was confused; the Valkyrie seemed in good spirits the day before, and he was sure something of consequence must have occurred to instigate her unannounced departure in the middle of the night. "Bo, what happened last night?" he probed with a soft voice.

"Nothing! We didn't have the movie she wanted to watch, and it pissed her off, that's all!" the brunette told him, her tone defensive.

But the shifter was all too aware of the succubus' blind spot when it came to reading the Valkyrie, and looked to the blonde to affirm or refute the assertion made by her girlfriend. As soon as Lauren caught his eye, he knew there was more to the evening than a catty argument over a movie. But the doctor refused to refute Bo's explanation, and he decided it might be best to drop the matter and move on to finding out just where Tamsin had fled. "I'll try calling her." He took out his phone and unsuccessfully tried to contact their friend. The call went straight to voice mail, and he left an urgent message to call him back before disconnecting. He sighed as he put his phone away and looked pointedly at Bo.

She was immediately offended by his unvoiced accusation; she knew she had done nothing to warrant the still recovering Valkyrie's sudden departure. "Dyson, nothing happened! And she's not answering because she's probably drunk somewhere or sleeping off her latest bender!"

"…Or unconscious in a puddle of her own blood, like I found her last time." He countered with a stern expression.

Bo glared back at him in return as she formulated a retort, before Lauren defused the situation, "Dyson, really it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. She was a bit tired and moody, that's all. And I don't think she wanted to stay here any longer than necessary after…" the doctor trailed off, unsure of what to say. She still didn't know exactly what precipitated the Valkyrie's original exodus from the clubhouse, but was sure it had something to do with the taller blonde's unexpected admission that Bo didn't love her at Zeus's party. She looked expectantly to Bo to fill in the blanks for her, as did the shifter.

The succubus wasn't going to fall into the little trap of discussing her and Tamsin when it was imperative to plan their mission right now. She felt somewhat guilty about using the Valkyrie and bringing her to uncontrollable sobbing with her rejection, but at the same time vindicated in her own belief that the woman didn't really love her when Tamsin subsequently acted cold and aloof towards her. Bo wasn't really sure if her former roommate actually felt hurt or angry by Lauren superseding her in her own affections. And the succubus herself felt more than a little slighted by the sudden return of the Valkyrie's abrasive behavior and brusque dismissal of her attempts at reconnecting as friends. But the issue was irrelevant at the moment – they needed to find Zeus. Tamsin was capable of taking care of herself, and right now there was a sociopathic megalomaniac bent on world domination whose whereabouts were currently unknown.

"…ah…she left of her own free will. She's a big girl, and right now – Zeus is on the loose, plotting gods know what! We need to find _her_ , as soon as possible – with or without Tamsin!" Bo stated emphatically, looking at each of them in turn with arms crossed.

Dyson and Lauren exchanged a brief look of understanding and resignation; Bo had a point. Zee was certainly not going to give up after sacrificing her own daughter and spouse to gain domination of the earth. She had nothing left to lose, and everything to gain.

"You're right." Dyson admitted, before turning to the doctor to fill her in on the discussion she had missed while still upstairs, "I have some men watching Zeus' condo, but so far there is no sign of her. I need to relieve them soon, and Bo thought it would be best for Tamsin to partner up with me while she combed the city for any sign of her. But now it seems…"

"…it's me and you." The succubus finished for him with a smile. She turned to her girlfriend and continued, "Trick is on the phone trying to contact the fae he knows that were at Zeus' party to find out if they might have any clues to her whereabouts. Why don't you stop by the Dal and see if he has any leads yet, before you head back to your clinic?"

Lauren nodded her assent, "I can do that. I'll call you if I find out anything."

Their plans solidified, the group broke up so that the trio could get ready for their mission.

* * *

The Dal was nearly empty when Lauren arrived; it was rather early in the day. The buxom, freckle-faced temp bartender greeted her politely as she made her way down to Trick's lair. In the dimly-lit, Tokienesque room the proprietor of the weigh station was just hanging up on his latest phone conversation. Perfect timing. Lauren was anxious to see how Mark was progressing, and if his expedited healing might mean he would soon be able to shift into animal form. The other theory for his rapid recovery was something she didn't want to consider at the present time. Hades had marked him, as well as Bo. The full understanding of the repercussions of bearing the mark of the devil was something that seemed to concern no one in the family save the doctor.

"Lauren! What can I do for you?" Trick's words were warm and welcoming despite the tired and frustrated expression upon his face.

Lauren smiled in return before answering, "Hello Trick. I don't want to take up too much of your time, but Bo asked me to stop by and see if you have found any leads on Zee. I would have called, but I know you have been working the phones all morning. Have you found out anything?"

He hung his head and shook it in defeat as he sighed out his frustration, "No, nothing. None of my fae contacts know anything so far. It was a surprise to them all to be invited to the party in the first place. And they all left before Zee went to the clubhouse where Bo found her."

"Tamsin." The blonde chimed in with her epiphany.

"Yes, Zeus threatened to kill Tamsin. But I wasn't even sure if Zee held her captive, or she merely meant she would track her down and kill her."

"No, she _was_ there – at the condo. All night. Alone with Hera and Zeus." Lauren's glee at the realization the Valkyrie might have some insight into Zeus' mindset dissolved into a crestfallen reminder that they had squandered their chance to pick the Valkyrie's brain over the events of the night of the party in favor of clashing with her over other issues. They all seriously needed to work on communication, priorities, and strategy. But there was so much going on in all their lives, it was hard to stop and take a breath.

" _Tamsin?_ What did she say happened after we left?" Trick inquired, noticing the doctor's pained look.

"Uh, well…she didn't really say, other than Hera getting struck by lightning…and no one asked her. There are a lot of things going on right now, and – "

The barkeep interrupted her, "Well, why don't you ask her now? I'll keep trying my remaining connections." He turned back to his phone, searching through his contact numbers.

"Trick, I can't! She's disappeared again. She's not answering her phone and – "

" **Lauren**! She's upstairs; drinking her way through my well liquor and raising hell since before I even woke up. Luckily, I've already got the top shelf bottles under lock and key since Mark's arrival." He grumbled testily, not even pulling his eyes away from the phone to look at her. She had, after all, walked through the bar to arrive in his private office. He informed his guest that she should have noticed the tall Nordic blonde; she did stand out in a crowd, and had already had a couple of minor altercations with both staff and patrons, and only the threat of calling Bo to evict her from the premises had calmed her down, but had not stopped her rude quips.

"Tamsin is here?" The doctor was incredulous and blurted out the question superfluously, and when Trick's eyes darted to look at her in confusion – she was already halfway up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, busty and freckled walked into her path inadvertently with a smile and an apology. As the bar employee secured the glasses on her tray to prevent them from falling, Lauren scanned the room for the Valkyrie. There was a young couple playing pool, an older gentleman reading a newspaper, and a three young men eating at a corner table. Before the clumsy server could walk off, Lauren asked urgently, "Have you seen a tall blonde woman?"

The bartender's smile morphed immediately into a scowl. She jerked her head in the direction of the booths at the back of the bar near the restrooms and scurried away. The doctor whirled to scan for any sign of her, but saw nothing. But the reaction of the ginger woman could only mean one thing; Tamsin _was_ here. And so she was, leaning on one elbow resting on the table the Valkyrie wasn't visible until she walked directly in front of the table between the benches. Lauren believed that was probably by design and not coincidence. "Tamsin, what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious to you?" she grinned, pouring herself another double shot of amber liquor from the bottle in front of her. Tamsin slowly swirled her glass around, waiting expectantly for snide comment in return with raised eyebrows. Her visitor observed her expression and behavior meticulously instead of answering; Tamsin had a way of revealing her feelings not by being confronted directed, but instead used them to fill in the empty spaces of an awkward conversation as if the silence leeched them out of her involuntarily like salt draws moisture. After she downed half of it in a gulp, she tilted her head and looked at the doctor with a smirk, "Well…since you can't guess – It's a day that ends in a 'Y'…I don't have a job…and I don't have shit to do. Party time! I thought you research scientists were good at observation and shit!"

The shorter blonde rolled her eyes. It was something of a revelation, but not nearly as much as she had hoped. It merited trying another tack, "So that's what you're going to do with your last life? Hmmm? Stay as drunk as possible for as long as possible?" Surely such an accusation would rile the Valkyrie into some kind of emotional reaction. It had worked before, after all.

But it didn't; in fact – it seemed to have the opposite effect. Tamsin's grin erupted into a wide, toothy smile, eyes twinkling in agreement with the rest of her expression, "Insha'Allah!" She raised her glass and toasted her companion, then drained down the harsh liquor with relish.

God Willing. Lauren closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy. Best to just dive in head first and get it over with rather than suffer a painful and drawn out immersion. "You left without telling anyone, and we have been trying to call you all morning." She began again, bluntly.

"Huh?" This seemed to surprise the Valkyrie, and she clumsily fished out her cell phone from one of the back pockets of her jeans. After she tried unsuccessfully to turn it on she dropped it unceremoniously on the table before looking back at the doctor with an unexpectedly humorous apology, "Battery's dead. Sorry. But in my defense, it was a shitty movie, Lauren. Admit it."

As Tamsin laughed at her own joke, the doctor realized just how exhausted and inebriated the Valkyrie seemed. She had never seen her before in such a state. But at least she appeared to be in a good mood, despite having obviously antagonized the bartender and all the recent emotional turmoil in her life. Classic Tamsin. But before Lauren could formulate another question, the Valkyrie had an inquiry of her own.

"Well, you found me. What do you want?" the tall fae woman asked, her tone suddenly more sober.

"Uh, well…" Lauren hesitated, taking a short moment to consider what might be running through the mind of her strange companion before speaking. The pair of them had been honest and forthright with each other in the past; Lauren had connected with Tamsin in a way that no one else in the group had ever done. Shoot from the hip, straight to the heart of the matter – that's what the Valkyrie responded to. "I have to go to the clinic to check on Mark, and Hades – whom we are holding captive there. Bo wanted you to go with Dyson to stake out Zee's apartment. We need to find her."

" _Hades_ is at your clinic, and _Bo_ is chasing after _Zeus_? What the fuck?" she chuckled and shook her head to try as if to shake out a diplomatic answer to the ever patient doctor. "Hhmmm. I see. OK, please tell her I am…" the taller blonde struggled for a word that would impress the doctor rather than offering one of her handy vulgar retorts always on the tip of her tongue, "…indisposed." She grinned at her own cleverness and topped off her glass.

Lauren crossed her arms and looked at her critically. Usually, the love-sick woman would jump at the chance to do anything asked of her by Bo, and would be eager to join in a mission of such importance. And it was also strange that she would dismiss the danger posed by the ancient fae who had nearly succeeded in killing everyone on earth. She was missing the reason the tall blonde had become so nihilistic, but was determined to mine the Valkyrie's experiences with the ancients for any possible helpful intel she could uncover. "What happened after we left Zee's apartment, Tamsin?"

"What?" The Valkyrie nearly choked on the draught of liquor she was trying to swallow. She had thought the conversation over. But the shorter blonde was staring at her with an intense look in her eyes, slowly taking a seat across from her. Tamsin locked eyes with her, following her gaze as she settled into her seat. As she concisely ran down the events of the night in question, she pointed at her inquisitor with the index finger of the hand holding her glass and ticked off each statement with it from left to right to convey the finality of her explanation, "Nothing important that I haven't told you already. You left me there. Zeus zapped Hera. I brought Hera to you. End of story."

The doctor wasn't going to give up so easily, and leaning forward asked urgently, "But why? What happened? Why did Zeus strike Hera in the heart with lightning?"

"Because he loves her and she doesn't love him!" the Valkyrie's eyes were wide open and wild with anguish as she leaned forward suddenly as well and shouted out the answer unthinkingly, slamming her glass on the table, spilling some of the liquid remaining in it. But as quickly as the doctor registered the pain in her expression, Tamsin sucked in a deep breath through her mouth and let it slowly out her nose as she leaned back and turned away from her. Her conversations with Hera and Zee were far too personal to discuss with the girlfriend of the woman she loved. After a moment, she gathered herself and filled her glass again, declaring in a calmer voice, "I mean; it was obvious – who couldn't see that shit coming?"

Surely that emotional outburst had nothing to do with the comatose jilted fae in her clinic. The doctor's eyes expression and tone softened when she replied, "Hera, for one, I guess." She had inadvertently found the crack in the wall the Valkyrie built around her emotions, and it wouldn't be breached by explosive words, but could be eroded down by more gentle forces. If Bo wouldn't resolve the issues between them, she would – they needed Tamsin 100% on board with their missions. "So, all this time, Zee was just using Hera and Iris."

The Valkyrie shrugged, "Apparently."

"How sad that Iris lost her life. And I feel kind of sorry for Hera, too." Dr. Lewis added softly, her tone far too kind to be referring to one of their enemies.

The lovelorn woman didn't reply right away and instead stared at her glass on the table as she turned it around in circles with one hand without lifting it. Just when Lauren was about to give up and head to the clinic, she lifted her eyes to meet the doctor's and responded, "Yeah…what a fucking idiot. How embarrassing."

Bingo. Tamsin was not just hurt or angry, but _ashamed._ Dr. Lewis deduced that could only mean one thing: the Valkyrie had first confessed her love before Bo had told her she didn't love her. A whole lot of shit started making sense now. Had her girlfriend set the ground rules upfront, the Valkyrie may have drifted away earlier or simply continued to deny her own feelings to save her pride. But pride does go before a fall, and Lauren realized the broken woman in front of her hadn't just lost her dignity but had alienated everyone she owed allegiance to gamble her love on Bo – Freya, the Morrigan, Acacia, and even Hades himself.

Noticing the tears welling in her companion's eyes, she turned away and closed her own. At least Bo had never told anyone of the Valkyrie's unreturned declaration of love; it no doubt embarrassed her girlfriend that she hadn't taken the time to let her roommate down gently before events spiraled so terribly out of control. The friction between the pair of them was compounded by their own pride, stubborn determination to ignore their own character flaws and refusal to even speak of what had happened between them. Lauren mused that locking them in a room together and knocking their heads together until they hashed out their issues might be best for everyone, but sadly not a probable solution.

The doctor looked at her hands as she heard her companion sniffing, not wanting to look her in the eyes as the proud warrior was obviously trying to hide her vulnerability the copious amount of alcohol she had drank laid bare. Lauren decided that there was no need to continue the pretense of talking about the ancients as she stated, "I'm sorry Tamsin. But, I don't think Bo meant to hurt you. I can't speak for her, but I'm sure she thought it was a 'no strings' situation – like Dyson."

Tamsin laughed bitterly at the explanation, "Really? You believe that bullshit, Lauren?" The doctor looked up in shock at the outburst, and the Valkyrie leaned closer as her green eyes darted over the face of her silent companion to find the answer in her unconscious tells. Lauren expression told her she didn't believe it; but Tamsin already knew that. They had had this conversation before. Her eyes narrowed, almost angry but not quite as she continued, "She loves Dyson; he loves her. Those 'strings' are consequences; and there are always consequences. Cause and effect – as a scientist you should know that."

Lauren gulped guiltily at her silent admission of truth, but still defended her lover, "She didn't know you loved her."

"No, you're right about that." The Valkyrie closed her eyes and nodded. Her jaw clenched and her breathing rate increased as she fought an internal battle, trying in vain to hold back something she didn't want to admit to anyone. But it was like a thorn causing a painful infection in her mind that needed to be pushed out, no matter how uncomfortable the process. Opening her eyes and gazing into Lauren's she found her strength at the end of a deep breath. It all came out, "She thought I was free for the taking, like a penny in a tray at the convince store. And it's my fault for believing I could be more than that – because I know I am cursed, and that's all I'll ever be to anyone! So please, both of you, just leave me the fuck alone!"

The Valkyrie's gut-wrenching and unintentional drunken confession triggered her defensive instincts and she pulled back and jumped up quick as a rattlesnake to leave. However, some rational part of her mind remembered the now dead cell phone on the table, and as she reached out to snatch it up Lauren finally reacted and grabbed her hand. "Wait, Tamsin -" she wasn't able to say anymore than that. It happened again – that course of energy between them. Only this time it wasn't a mere tickle to be dismissed as imagination. It was like a shot of pure adrenaline through the doctor's veins. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply as she gripped the Valkyrie's hand tighter. She felt energy pushed by a thousand emotions and dominated by a strength of will to persevere through her mind; and knew the experiences behind them were too many for a human to gather in their lifetime – or indeed most fae. It was frightening; but she couldn't let go. And she didn't want to. It felt too satisfying, too _good._

A sharp pain in her throat at the juncture of her clavicle bones sent her reeling back against the padded bench and releasing the woman's hand. The doctor opened her eyes, panting in exhilaration as her booth-mate stood across the table breathing equally as heavily regarding her with a look of fright, two fingers of her right hand she had apparently struck her with still pointed in an unconscious accusation as she asked, "Lauren, what have you done?"

The dazed woman struggled to find give a response to the question she didn't even know the answer to, "I…I've been experimenting…with DNA…and I've gotten some help…"

Tamsin closed her eyes tightly. She knew just where that 'help' must have originated. "Lewis, didn't you know? Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: After careful consideration and prodding, I have decided to declare a ship. I know it will piss some people off – but deal with it; I am down 100% for my ship and will defend it to the end. And I will strike down upon haters with great vengeance and furious anger if they attempt to sink my ship. Because me and Bo's 1969 Camaro SS are just meant to be; everybody knows that it is true love! My third gen Camaro I am rebuilding will just have to share my affections. Unless Bo's Camaro is an automatic – because that is a deal-breaker for me. I'm a standard kinda gal.**

 **Seriously, a bit shorter and choppier chapter this time. Might go off the rails a little next chapter...we'll see. Hope you enjoy it. But also seriously, I hate automatic transmissions except when towing heavy trailers.**

 **Enjoy LG tonight.**

Chapter 5: Waiting for Someone or Something to Show You the Way

"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!"

Feeling she had already divulged far too much to the doctor, Tamsin collected her phone and turned to leave. The fact that Lauren had some connection to Hades brought a healthy amount of apprehension to her already anxious mind. She wanted to run away from all of this: Bo, Lauren, Hades, Evony, Dyson and her own shameful admissions and exposed vulnerability. But fate, in the form of the irritatingly mischievous Mesmer, intervened as he had materialized right in front of her while she was distracted.

" _Timeo Danaos et dona ferentis_ , eh Tamsy. You shouldn't try to warn the Trojans; you know what Athena did to the last bloke that did! Now, scootch!" He shoved her back into the booth and sat next to her across from Lauren, who had thankfully gathered her wits by now. Vex placed a bowl of salted cocktail peanuts he had appropriated from the bar on the table and picked up Tamsin's glass as she sat back down in a daze. Dr. Lewis was surprised that somehow the obnoxious dark fae's presence comforted the distraught Valkyrie, yet she still glared at him as he drank down her glass of bourbon. "Ahhhggghhh, horse piss! Is Trick still hiding the good shit?" he grimaced in disgust, but shrugged and poured himself another generous portion.

The waitress dutifully appeared to ask if they wanted anything else. Lauren declined, informing her she would be leaving soon. Tamsin simply shot eye daggers at the woman, but ever the trouble maker, Vex did have a request, "Yes, Pippi Longstocking, there is something I want." He turned to the Valkyrie and grinned evilly as he winked at her conspiratorially.

" _Vex_! Don't –" she hissed at him as Dr. Lewis regarded the pair across from her in curiosity.

"I want to know if Tamsin here arranged that threesome you wanted with you, her and the succubitch? Hmmm, how was it? I want details! Did you get to play 'good cop, bad cop' after all, eh?" he cackled in delight as the poor server's face bloomed redder than the hair on her head before she stomped away in a huff.

The Valkyrie hung her head and held her face in embarrassment, remembering the lurid proposition by the horny barmaid in great detail and her less than polite reaction to it. It seemed that even peripheral acquaintances knew she was nothing more to Bo than a sex toy, and the reminder of her own ignorance had nearly provoked a violent response out of her before Trick shut her down. "Fuck my life." She said almost too quietly to be heard through her hands. But the doctor did hear it and turned her head away to hide her grin from the woman who couldn't see it, anyways.

Lauren felt a bit ashamed of herself because she found the situation so amusing. But the waitress had a point; the pair of fae women were quite hot. She tried not to imagine what it might be like to be in bed with both of them. But the phrase 'good cop, bad cop' ran through her mind unchecked, and visions of a rough and ready Valkyrie and a gentle and soothing succubus dressed in skimpy police uniforms followed it. She shook her head to clear her mind – this was not happening. Bo was the only one she wanted, and Tamsin seemed uncharacteristically uninterested in sex at all, anyways. Luckily the Mesmer was too occupied with his victim to notice her at the moment, and she mused that Bo's lustful nature must be rubbing off on her in some way.

"Oh, there, there, Goldilocks! You still have me!" Vex soothed mockingly, patting the Valkyrie's back. He turned to the doctor across from him, leaving his drunken companion to mope in silence. "OK, fun's over; back to business. Listen, doctor, do you have time to see me today in your professional capacity?"

Lauren was startled by his sudden segue after his antagonistic antics, and broke out of her own musings, "Oh, uh…yes I think so. Are you not feeling well?"

"What's the matter Vexie? Performance issues?" Tamsin suddenly interrupted when she found an opening to gain some retribution, and taunted the Mesmer in a mock British accent.

"Doctor/patient confidentiality. Ever hear of it?" he retorted, turning his head to look at her.

"Go fuck yourself Vex. Or, is that the problem?" she asked her voice mocking but without malice.

"Fuck you, Tamsin." He threw a peanut at her face.

"Fuck you, too, Vex." She cuffed him upside the back of his head.

"Alright! Enough!" their formerly silent audience member shouted with both hands up in frustration. Lauren had lost her patience with the juvenile display of vulgarity. Once she got their attention, she advised them calmly, yet sternly, "As entertaining as the two of you are, I need to get back to the clinic. Vex, why don't you take Tamsin back to the clubhouse and then stop by my office. I don't think she is in any condition to drive."

The Mesmer gave the doctor a confused look before he turned back to the Valkyrie next to him. "When did you move back in with the succu-slut?" he asked incredulously.

Tamsin was too tired to even be hurt by the insinuation and shrugged as she corrected him, "I didn't. Just take me to my motel. You know it is."

* * *

Bo and Dyson were parked outside Zeus' apartment building in his car. The bright yellow classic Camaro would be conspicuous enough to draw unwanted attention, both by Zee or classic car enthusiasts eager to discuss their passion. They were sharing a comfortable silence; it was a necessary talent for any partners who would be spending long and tedious assignments together. The shifter sipped his coffee slowly, thinking of the many stakeouts he shared with his best friend Hale. He missed his former partner's humor and calm demeanor. Stakeouts with Tamsin, however, were something altogether different. She was definitely the polar opposite of Hale. Her brash and abrasive personality was probably the reason the Morrigan chose her to be his partner. He smiled at the thought that Evony's plan to use Tamsin to imprison Bo had backfired on her when the Valkyrie switched her loyalty to the gang instead.

The silence was broken when Bo's phone chirped. She read the text and smirked at Dyson until he turned to her in curiosity. "What's so funny?"

"Lauren just texted me. She found Tamsin at the Dal – shitfaced drunk but safe and sound. Told ya!" she beamed with a bright smile.

"Alright! You win." He conceded with a nod and a small smile before continuing on to the serious business, "Did she say anything else? Did Trick find any leads?"

"No, unfortunately not. No one seems to have any idea where Zee might have gone. But I doubt that bitch just gave up and headed back to where she came from." The succubus sighed in frustration.

The shifter nodded his assent, and added, "I'm sure Zee hasn't given up that easily. She is certainly driven by her desire to rule the world." He rubbed his beard and mused silently over whether or not he should broach the subject of who else might be planning to subjugate the inhabitants of the earth. "And that brings us back to the question of just what your father is doing here."

"I don't know Dyson." She admitted in defeat, looking out the passenger window. After a few beats she added, "I didn't have any choice but to bring him here. It was the only way to stop the Nyx from destroying everything." They had fought over this topic the night before, and she didn't want to rehash the issue.

He shared her desire to avoid another conflict over the subject of her father, but felt compelled to warn her, "I understand, Bo. I trust you. But I still don't trust him."

The succubus smiled grimly at him. "I don't trust him, either, Dyson. But right now we have to take out the person whom we know for sure is up to no good."

In the interest of keeping the peace, he turned back to his coffee and watching the entrance to the apartment building. He wasn't sure they were chasing down the most dangerous enemy at the moment.

* * *

When Lauren arrived at her clinic, she had immediately checked on Mark before making the rest of her rounds. He seemed completely recovered, and anxious to leave. From her own extensive experience treating the light fae, she knew it was far from normal for a young fae to recover so quickly before they had come into their powers. She wanted to keep him longer, to try to find out the cause of his miraculous healing abilities – but he was so head-strong and restless being confined to bed that she was sure he would simply leave on his own if she didn't let him go.

She then went to her office to call Dyson and let him know she was sending his son home. Hades, however, interrupted her before she even got to the phone. "Good morning, Dr. Lewis. You're a bit late today." Startled, Lauren turned to face him through the Plexiglas walls. He was still laying on the bed, though fully dressed, hands crossed behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.

"Oh, yes, just a little." Lauren's meticulously professional habits and punctuality were obviously being observed by their captor. It was unnerving to know that Hades was not even trying to hide the fact that he knew a great deal about them.

"Did you and Bo have a late night? You of all people should know the importance of getting a good night's rest." he chided gently.

"No, not at all. I had to…" she blurted out defensively before stopping herself from revealing anything about their mission to find Zeus. "…check up on a friend who is recovering from some recent injuries." She thought it best to explain her lateness with her visit with Tamsin without mentioning her by name.

"Ah yes, the wayward Valkyrie." he stated knowingly, sitting up in his bed to look her in the eyes.

She glared at him accusingly, but said nothing. Hades smiled wickedly, accurately reading the implication in her expression. "I had nothing to do with her getting hurt. I was here, right where my daughter wants me to be. And she has a lot of enemies, as anyone who changes their loyalty more often than they change their underwear does. Anyways, I am here with my daughter now – so I have no further business with her. Especially now that she has moved out of Bo's house."

"Then how did you –"

"How did I know you went to see her? Simple process of elimination." He shrugged and smiled again, walking up to the glass. "I know my daughter's friends, like any good father should. And I _know_ Tamsin. She is a heartless person; she's done a lot of evil things – you have no idea. I'm glad you're with Bo now, and the fallen Valkyrie can no longer influence her. She needs people like you in her life."

Lauren felt a hard lump growing in the pit of her stomach. _'…I know I am cursed…'_ Tamsin's words to her that morning suddenly had more sinister meaning to her. It wasn't just a statement of self-pity brought out by her grief and loneliness. She meant it. Literally.

* * *

Kenzi didn't want to return home like this, not with a warning of impending danger. A reunion should be a celebration, a chance to reconnect and enjoy each other's company. It shouldn't be a launching pad for yet another perilous adventure that may cost one of them their lives. She had left to escape the life of perpetual life-threatening drama to find the ordinary life she had longed for as a child. The life both she and Bo had both professed their yearning for as they worked together. But life has a way of not working out the way you think it will, and after all the traumatic experiences she needed a break. Fate had taken from her the love of her life, but she had gained an extraordinary existence beyond her wildest dreams off the coast of Spain in return.

Living in the small village had taught Kenzi that a slow-paced life wasn't boring as she had assumed; it was filled with simple pleasures she never before had the time to notice or enjoy before. Walks on the beach, window shopping, the long afternoon lunches at the charming yet inexpensive cafés, and the afternoon siestas were things that experiences that allowed her to take a break from trying to build a life and simply enjoy _being_ alive. But the continuous state of danger that is Bo's life has a long reach and it had found her out, pulling her back into the tempest that surrounded the succubus. Her best friend always had a knack for both attracting and creating drama that baffled Kenzi at times.

As she sat in the limo and watched the posh houses and gated communities give way to more humble homes becoming ever more dilapidated it struck her how much she had grown both as a person and in her own fortunes. Bo and her acquired family were such a blessing to her; but she didn't need them in the way she did before. She was her own person now, and wondered if her bestie had grown enough to be comfortable alone and in her own skin, as well. When they stopped in front of the crack shack and she saw the Camaro parked outside in its usual place, she doubted much had changed. But, in a way that was a comforting thought. Maybe the old saying was wrong – you _can_ go back home.

The door was locked, and no one answered her persistent knocking. "Well, a locked door is no problemo for a shadow thief!" she said to herself. Some things never _did_ change, as she still carried her lock picking tools in her stylish clutch. The lock obligingly opened with a satisfying click. "Yeeeaaahhh! I still gots it!" the Russian shouted in glee. Remembering she wasn't alone, she whirled around to see the limo driver still standing outside the vehicle – watching her in disbelief with his mouth opened slightly. "What? I forgot my key. Don't judge." She laughed at how being home had made her forget all the behaviors of genteel European society.

Walking into the clubhouse, she immediately noticed the changes. It was brighter and the walls were painted very sloppily in an unattractive green. " **BoBo!** **Tamsin! Anybody home?"** she shouted. When she received no answer, she searched the upstairs. The Valkyrie, for one, was known to sleep like the dead. Finding no one, she made her way back down and looked around the kitchen. Gone were all the sugary cereals and convenient junk foods that had always graced the counters and shelves. Taking out her cell phone, Kenzi searched for a contact number. Her finger hesitated over the call button for Bo. She wanted to surprise her in person, not call and inquire her whereabouts. Tamsin, she would call Tamsin.

She let it ring until it went to voicemail, then hung up and called again. This time it was answered on the second ring. "What!" the Valkyrie answered groggily, sounding as if she had just woken up and wasn't at all pleased about it.

"Is that any way to greet the woman who raised you? I thought I taught you better than that young lady!" Kenzi chided.

"Kenzi?"

"Uh, who else? Where are you? It's nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon and it sounds like you just woke up." The short human was beginning to worry now. Tamsin had lived happily at the clubhouse while she was in Valhalla, but it seemed she had moved away for some reason. And Bo wasn't at home – but her car was parked outside.

"I…umm, sorry. I had a rough night. And morning. Long story. How's Spain?" she mumbled, not registering that Kenzi was asking where she was.

"I'm sure it's doing just fine without me, but just barely. I'm back in town - at the clubhouse. Where are _you_? And if you are under some hunky hydra right now, please skip the details! There are some things a mother shouldn't know." she inquired, with her caveat.

"Me? Oh…I, uh…you're at the clubhouse? Is Bo with you?" Tamsin's sleepy voice was suddenly nervous and urgent.

"No, she's not here, but her car is parked outside. Tamsin what's going on?" Kenzi asked with obvious concern.

The Valkyrie sighed into the phone and tried to reassure her friend, "Nothing. It's…I think she's out with Dyson on a stakeout."

"Oh. I see." The small human took a moment to decide what to say next. Tamsin was being strangely evasive and she thought that if anyone would be on a stake out with the shifter it would be his former partner. But then again, Dyson had told he had convinced the Valkyrie to work with Bo in her absence, so none of it made any sense. She decided not to delve into that mystery for now until they met in person. "Well, do you know where they are?"

Tamsin gave her the address of Zeus' apartment building and agreed to meet up with her later at the Dal. As Kenzi hung up, she reconsidered that the old adage might be true, after all. Maybe you can't go back home. She carefully locked the clubhouse door and made her way to her waiting limo. The driver held the door for her as she carefully seated herself, and then shut it behind her. No, you can't go back home – you can only move forward.

And considering all the horrible events of the past, maybe moving forward was a good thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am done with Bo's Camaro and I want Tamsin's International Scout - I do live on a dirt road after all and my truck just died for good this time.**

 **Thanks for reading, you guys are the best.**

Chapter 6: Who Was Fitted with Collar and Chain

Bo was shocked to see Kenzi of all people stepping gracefully out of the long black limousine that pulled up in front of Zeus' apartment building. Shocked, but in a good way. In the midst of the shitstorm they had found themselves in - here was a ray of sunshine breaking through the thunderheads. Dyson was equally overjoyed to see his friend. But as with many reunions with loved ones, the conversation was a bit awkward at first since no one knew where to begin. So much had changed while the Russian woman was gone, and it seemed as though her life was very different as well. She wore her own natural hair, instead of an outlandish wig, and there was no sign of the goth girl expressing teenage rebellion in her look or demeanor at all. Kenzi had grown up.

Sensing that familiar surroundings would help make the conversations flow more easily, Bo suggested they head to the clubhouse to catch up, until she remembered their mission for the day. "Oh shit, we need to stake out Zee's apartment!" she groaned in disappointment to Dyson as she turned to him with pleading, puppy dog eyes.

He laughed at her obvious attempts to charm him into abandoning the mission that was so imperative to her not just a moment before, "OK, I'll see what I can do." He was eager for Kenzi to meet his son, as well as check on Alicia. He didn't want to dwell on why concern for the human woman had come to dominate his own thoughts – but it was undeniable that the ancients, Bo, and her missions were much farther down the list of his priorities lately. He smiled and nodded to his former love, "Why don't you ride with Kenzi, I'll meet you there. I have to make a quick stop, first. I'd like her to meet Mark."

* * *

After Tamsin had showered and dressed, she checked her phone to see if Kenzi had called back. There were a few messages from Bo, Lauren, and Dyson which she didn't bother checking, as well as an angry text from Bo. Seems her disappearing act the night before only to be discovered drunk at the Dal by the doctor had pissed off the succubus for some reason beyond Tamsin's comprehension. She shrugged it off and tucked her phone in her pocket without checking her voicemail. Surely they were calling to let her know Kenzi was back, and if not – well, that was the only thing that mattered to her right now. She wanted to get to the Dal before Kenzi brought Bo there with her so she could drink enough to calm her raging hangover and be buzzed enough to ignore her heartache.

But just as she made it to the door of her hotel room, her phone rang again. It was a number that hadn't appeared on her caller ID in a long, long time. Evony. She almost hit the 'decline' button until her curiosity got the better of her and she answered it. "I'm busy, what do you want Evony?"

"Tamsin, I need your help. Something is wrong with me, and I need to know if Lauren is really working on a cure for me." Evony hurriedly told her, her voice tinged with desperation.

"How the fuck should I know? We're done here." she growled back. She was about to hang up, angry at the waste of her time when a word caught her and made her hesitate.

" _Please_ , Tamsin!" the voice in the speaker plead as her finger hovered over the 'end call' icon.

Evony never said please, at least not to her. In fact, the only instances of anyone using that word on her that came immediately to mind were ones where they were either begging her for mercy on the battlefield or asking her to please just shut the fuck up.

"Tamsin?" the former Morrigan said again when the Valkyrie failed to give an answer or hang up.

She didn't know how to react. "What can I do Evony? I don't think I can help you, even if I tried." The Valkyrie finally answered.

"You lived with the succubus! Use your influence and find out what's going on. I don't think that sneaky little doctor is being honest with me. And if all else fails you can use your…talents to find the truth."

The blonde thought for a moment before deciding, "Not happening." There was no way Tamsin would use her powers on Bo's lover, although she considered that if she did the succubus' retribution might beat the feelings of love and the pain it brought out of her system for good so she could move on with her life. But she had already tried that, by instigating a fight with some powerful dark fae gangsters that put her right back at the clubhouse and compounded her emotional turmoil. Instead, the Valkyrie offered her former boss another solution, "Why don't you ask Vex? He knows Lauren a lot better than I do."

"I already did! Vex asked a while back, and she blew him off. Now he won't even try anymore. I don't think they like him very much, and the little shit is still pissed off at me. But you are one of them. Maybe Lauren will confide in you."

That hurt Tamsin more than she saw coming. Of all people, Evony was the one who warned her that she would never be accepted by the 'Happy Sunshine Gang' as she had dubbed them. And given her present situation, it occurred to the jobless, homeless Valkyrie that maybe she should have given that warning a little more credence before she killed the comatose fae Bo had attacked in order to protect her. But that bridge was burned to ashes and there was no way to rebuilt it. She felt guilty for lying to the woman who had paid for her loyalty, even if she felt it was the right thing to do. "I'll see what I can do." Tamsin whispered sadly and hung up, not bothering to inform the desperate woman that she was mistaken in her assumption that she was a part of Bo's family. Evony deserved some hope, even if she herself had none. It was the least she could do to make amends.

* * *

"OMG, you have no idea!" Kenzi laughed. She was riding back to her old home in her stretch limo with her bestie, as if they didn't have a care in the world, speaking of language barriers and culture shock. "Can you believe, the locals all thought I'm an American when they meet me, and try to get me to go to McDonald's! As if?! I am more sophisticated than that! Talk about stereotyping!"

Bo chuckled along with her, but pointed out the flaw in her mock outrage, "But Kenzi, you love all that fast food!"

"I know, right! But when I tried out my Spanish and kept ordering McNuggets de Po-lo instead of 'de poy-yo,' as it is pronounced, I felt so…touristy? And they are so tres polite, they didn't even correct me! I am too embarrassed to show my face there now! I should have asked for Spanish lessons from Little T before I left; you know, she talks in her sleep a lot in soooo many different languages!"

Her friend did know how the Valkyrie not only talked in her sleep - but was traumatized by her past enough to scream out in terror in her dreams. But, not wanting to ruin the mood, Bo switched the subject smoothly, "So, where do you get your grub on now? I can't imagine there was a fast food place where you haven't butchered the local language in during your first week there!" she giggled, though her eyes didn't show the merriment her words were expressing.

"Oh no, chicka! Enough about me! Although, I will just add that the local paella and sangria are to **die** for!" Kenzi leaned towards her, pushing her gently on the shoulder before probing, "Tell me why you are playing the role of Detective Slamsin with Wolf Boy. When did you give up freelancing and sprout a police badge?"

"I am _not_ a cop, Kenzi!" she shook her head, rolling her eyes. But her most precious friend deserved to know how serious the situation right now was, and so she told her – however reluctant she was to break the joyful mood. She looked out of the window briefly, as if the right words to explain the situation could be found on the sidewalks bustling with people living their everyday lives, blissfully unaware of the impending danger. She turned back with a sigh, "We are looking for Zeus, who is dead set on destroying everything on earth."

"Zeus?! As in beardy-faced lightning throwing, Mt Olympus dwelling old man in a toga Zeus?" Kenzi asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yup, that's him, er…her. But Zeus is all Cosmo chic swanky uptown penthouse dwelling woman now. Calls herself Zee." Bo studied her friend's breathless expression of open-mouthed shock before adding, "and yes, she is lightning bolt throwing. I can vouch for that personally." She pointed with her index finger to her shoulder for emphasis.

"Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!" the now blonde girl said with both hands on her cheek in a mock southern accent. She had a sudden thought and grabbed Bo's hand with both of hers, "Did she bring Hercules with her? Does he look like Kevin Sorbo?" Kenzi asked breathlessly, eyes twinkling in excitement.

Bo laughed joyfully at the shorter woman's irreverent comments, even considering the dangers they were facing. She had missed her humor, warmth, and companionship – and she needed her trustworthy confidant. Tamsin had stepped in and tried her best to assume that role, until…well, she didn't want to think about right now. There would be time, later, to try to unfuck that whole unholy fucking mess of a shituation. Kenzi was here, and her best friend would not squander a single precious moment of their time together dealing with bullshit that could be put off until later. Bo grinned happily and continued her explanation of their current enemies list, "No, no Hercules. Well, there was a descendant of his, but he was a human football player and looked more like Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Mcguire."

"Ooohhhh, do tell…" Kenzi encouraged, leaning forward and putting a hand on Bo's knee.

Bo sighed, "Not much to tell there. Zeus somehow feeds off the adoration people have for his, or her descendants. The guy had no idea, and although he is strong – he doesn't have any fae powers. Hera, Zee's wife, is a dude. They also brought their daughter, Iris, but she is dead now." The succubus concluded sadly, not explaining how poor Iris met her end at her and her father's hand.

"Holy shitsnacks! But where did they come from, and why are they trying to destroy the world now?" the Russian asked, confused as to why they had never been heard of before.

"Uh, well…it seems I may have accidently released them from Tartarus when I escaped." The succubus admitted with a grim expression.

"So, it is _**literally**_ true. Trouble follows you everywhere you go!" Kenzi jokingly pointed out with a smile.

"Well, it gets worse. I also released Hades, my father."

"Get the fae out of here! Your father is…the _**devil**_?!"

* * *

Tamsin went in to Lauren's clinic and strolled right into her private offices and lab at the back like she owned the place over the protests of the obnoxious receptionist. It was really Evony's clinic, anyways, and she was here at the former Morrigan's request. The Valkyrie wanted to get in, get out and wrap up this entire episode of her life over with so she could skip town for good. Luckily, no one was there at the moment, and she took the opportunity to snoop around.

There were a lot of scribblings on a white board she assumed were chemical equations, but she couldn't make heads nor tails of what they might mean. She turned slowly in place, her every critical eyes quickly darting around the room, taking in every detail. Next to the microscope on the table was a more promising lead – a notebook she assumed the doctor used to document her research. She immediately went to it and read the latest entry, dated that very day detailing a visit with Vex. Her eyes grew wide in shock, but she didn't waste a second and started reading previous entries. She found the answer to Evony's question not by what was written in the journal, but by what conspicuous by its absence. The door to the front of the clinic opened snapping her attention away from the book as she quickly turned it back where she found it and jumped back, trying desperately to put on an innocent face.

A security guard with a huge pot belly strolled into the room, flanked by Dr. Lewis. Tamsin greeted them flippantly, "Oh, hey Lewis. How's it hanging?"

Lauren rolled her eyes in both relief and frustration. The Valkyrie could try the patience of the Dali Lama himself. She looked at the taller blonde who was slowly strolling around the room with her hands on her hips and informed the guard that everything was alright. She waited until she heard the door click shut behind him before she confronted her announced guest. "Tamsin, what are you doing here?"

The Valkyrie had a ready lie in cause she did bump into the doctor, "Oh, uh…I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me to the Dal to meet up with Kenzi!" she said cheerfully, perhaps too cheerfully as she fidgeted with the zipper on the sleeve of her leather jacket absent mindedly.

The doctor threw her head back and laughed briefly. Something was amiss with the normally confident and cocky woman. She looked back at the obviously false smile on the intruder's face and called her bluff, "Do you really expect me to believe that, with everything that has happened lately. Please, have a little more respect for my intelligence. And you are a terrible liar." Lauren smirked and raised her eyebrows in curiosity, confident an honest answer would be forthcoming.

The smile vanished from Tamsin's face despite her conscious effort to maintain the charade, "No, I…Ok, fine. Evony sent me." She rolled her eyes and closed them, dropped her head and holding her forehead in one palm as she mentally chided herself for her already well established lack of talent for subterfuge.

"Evony. I see. So you ran back Evony with your tail between your legs." It was a statement, not a question. Tamsin looked at her in confusion. And the irked expression Lauren gave her with her hands crossed over her chest made her statement more of an accusation. It was, after all, a logical conclusion that the Valkyrie would run back to the enemies of the woman who spurned her affections.

This irritated the taller blonde, "No, _she_ called _me._ She wants to know if you are trying to make her fae again." She defended herself, her eyes narrowing. Why was Lauren getting so upset over her visit? She was afraid of something.

"So, she called you and offered you your old job back." Again, the doctor hit her with an accusation, jaw set in anger. "You were always her dog, after all."

The Valkyrie bristled visibly, shoulders tightening and jaw clenching she stepped menacingly closer to the doctor who had drawn forth her ire with her hypocrisy. Lauren dropped her arms and took a step back involuntarily as Tamsin got right into her personal space with an accusation of her own, "No, Lauren. I am _not_ her dog; I _was_ Bo's dog, but now I am a stray. And Evony is not paying me. She's paying _**you**_. And I doubt she's _**ever**_ going to get what she paid for!"

Not wanting to lose her temper, Tamsin turned to leave. But the doctor grabbed her arm to stop her running back to the former Morrigan, "Tamsin, wait –" her voice betrayed the terror she was feeling.

Quick as lightning, the Valkyrie whirled around, grasping Lauren's own arm and twisting it around behind the doctor's back while lifting it and collecting her other arm to join it. After what she discovered in the journal, she would never let the doctor touch her again. The yoked up woman tried in vain to latch on to any bare skin of the Valkyrie in order to harness her power, as she did with Vex earlier in the day, but Tamsin easily lifted her arms higher causing her to her cease her struggles in order to stop the discomfort. The taller blondes leaned in closer to her, but not close enough for Dr. Lewis to make any skin contact, and calmly informed her, "I would _never_ insult your intelligence, Dr. Lewis. You're brilliant – that is your greatest strength. You're also a _very_ good liar. But you have glaring weaknesses that are easily exploited, most noticeably in your hubris and your inability to trust, even those closest to you."

She leaned back and released her helpless captive, moving several steps away quickly so that the woman couldn't recover fast enough to grab hold of her again. Tamsin crossed her arms and carefully watched the doctor's reaction to what had just transpired. She had read the doctor like an open book and bested her without even having to use any of her fae strength or powers of doubt. The Valkyrie mused that Dr. Lewis was like a child playing with a gun thinking it made them a soldier. Without understanding the dangers, capabilities, effective employment strategies and limitations of her power, the doctor was more likely to kill or injure herself or those around her.

Lauren straightened her lab coat and shot a glare at the woman who had put her in such a vulnerable hold so easily without using any of her extra-human abilities. Her face was flushed and she was breathing heavily. Tamsin chalked up her blushing to her embarrassment at being caught off guard when she felt more confident with her newly acquired powers. "Well, what are you going to do now?" she didn't want Bo or Evony finding out about what she had been up to from Tamsin. And she didn't like the way her heart was racing at being held by the Valkyrie, albeit in a physically aggressive way.

"I'm going to visit Kenzi at the Dal." she said in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it should have been blatantly obvious to the doctor. Tamsin headed for the door, eyeing the other woman suspiciously in case she make another move to touch her.

Lauren picked up on her obvious suspiciousness and gulped guiltily as she tried again to say what she wanted to earlier. This time she did it without attempting to physically touch the other woman, "Please Tamsin,… I…uh…" she was at a loss. Surely there was nothing she could say that would sway the Valkyrie to keep her secrets from the woman she loved.

The Valkyrie turned her whole body towards her as she struggled to speak, but failed to find the words. The fear in the doctor's eyes tugged at the Valkyrie's own heartstrings. It was the fear of losing the one she loved. A fear that the Valkyrie herself had felt until it became an all too horribly painful reality. Tamsin sighed sadly and dropped her head as she answered her unasked questions, "I'm not telling Evony, or Bo about my suspicions." She looked up to meet the surprised doctor's eyes, and gave her some reassurance, "I know it's not in your nature, but you can trust me on this. It's none of my business how you all choose to live your lives. But in return, just do me a favor and talk to Evony. I owe her that much, at least. She's really worried." She opened the door but stopped again and offered the doctor a final piece of advice over her shoulder, "I don't know if you've ever read _The Art of War,_ so I'll just put this out there: Never accept anything from your enemy, Lauren. Evony might still be fae is she had heeded that lesson." Then she was gone, leaving the flabbergasted doctor to try to figure out just what the Valkyrie was getting at with her last statement. Then it hit her – Hades had made an analogy to the Trojan horse.

"Shit!" she whispered.

As she climbed into her rust-bucket of a truck, the Valkyrie mused over the nature of Lauren's power. She had called herself a conduit in her journal; and that is a conveyance of things from one point to another. If the fae she was drawing power from was point A, just who or what was point B? The most likely answer was the person who had just appeared and serendipitously provided the doctor with the solution for which she had been diligently searching for years. Or was she feeding someone else, yet unknown? She could be a collection point of power, but to what end? And she had used a virus as a catalyst. A virus for which the known vectors for infection were as yet not fully known and was now genetically modified in ways she didn't understand.

" **Shit**!" Tamsin shouted and hit the steering wheel. There was no way she could leave town now, not with the danger they were facing. She would have to try to warn Bo without mentioning Lauren or what she had done. She had given her word not to tell. And the succubus would surely never believe anything bad about her girlfriend that spilled from Tamsin's mouth, anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Been watching the new episodes of the show, and if you are reading this – so should you, and struggling with where I wanted it to go. But I finally banged out something with a better idea of what I want to do with this. Initially, I had a shorter story in mind and decided but here you go.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

Chapter 7: If You Didn't Care What Happens to Me

Familiar setting that it was, the clubhouse had changed enough that it seemed a different place altogether. Yes, it was still dilapidated, run down, illuminated mainly by candlelight and poorly maintained in general as always. But the atmosphere was less of that of a hideaway for runaway waifs and more mature; homey. Kenzi politely declined Bo's offer to pour her a glass of wine and excused herself to go bathroom because she had "to pee so bad my eyeballs are floating." She informed the succubus with wide eyed intensity that made her laugh. It was good to see Kenzi being Kenzi. Bo needed that reminder of good times not so long past. Without Kenzi, her house wasn't a home.

When the diminutive Russian had clomped back down the stairs in her stylish and expensive six-inch heels, Dyson and his son had already arrived. The shifter was talking with Bo about something obviously serious in nature, but Kenzi couldn't make out what it was about as they both suddenly became less intense and silent as she approached them. Bo smiled at her, but couldn't disguise the worry in her eyes and she said nothing. It was the detective that greeted her warmly, "Kenzi, it's good to see you back where you belong! Welcome home." He pulled her into a friendly embrace, inhaling deeply through her now blonde hair. She had missed him, as well. In truth, she had missed all of her fae family, but not enough to come back into the maelstrom that was their everyday life. And sooner rather than later, she needed to inform them of the reason for her visit. But it was hard to disrupt this happy moment of reunion.

"Whoa, down boy! You know I love you like a brotha from another motha! Don't be puttin' the moves on me in front of your main squeeze!" she swatted him playfully on the shoulder as she moved away and noticed his son, standing across the room. "Weellll, Dyson you dog! You didn't tell me you had such a handsome pup!" she drawled while eyeing the young man up and down. Dyson laughed as she turned from him, trying unsuccessfully to disguise his pride for the young man. For his part, Mark was obviously flattered, but tried albeit unsuccessfully to play it off coyly.

"I'm sorry…" he glanced around the room before looking at Kenzi again and pointing at himself, "…were you talking about me?" he asked with a winning grin that had made many a young lady swoon.

"Yes you, Mr. No Holds Pecs!" Kenzi laughed at the overly confident young whelp, and ignored him for the moment, wandering about the room and commenting on the changes in décor since she left. Grown up Kenzi need not be a succubus to know how to play a man like a fiddle. It was all technique and confidence, not advantage born of natural beauty. Experience and overcome hardships had given her everything she needed to get through life on her own terms, and she would revel in it. It wasn't that Kenzi wasn't easy on the eyes; she just never appreciated the good things in her life she had before and only dwelled on the things she didn't possess. She had tried so hard for so long to be something she wasn't, and now she accepted who she was, in all its glory and limitations. It was good to be home, but things could never be the same. After neglecting the anxious, and interested young fae for just the right amount of time, she coquettishly eyed him from around a pillar in the living room. "Hola!"

* * *

Tamsin sat herself at the bar of the Dal just a few seats down from a distinguished looking dark-skinned man and waited patiently for the bartender to take her order. Thankfully, the place wasn't very busy and she went unnoticed by all as she silently indulged herself in the beer the bartender brought to her. She was also grateful that Big Perverted Red, as she had dubbed the ginger barmaid, wasn't working today. That would be an awkward scene she didn't want Kenzi to witness. But just as she relaxed and tried to forget the eventful past few days – Big, Red, and oh-so-perverted walked out of the backroom and sidled up to the serving station at the bar. Tamsin looked away quickly, hoping to she didn't notice her.

Oh, but a tall, blonde, and attractive-even-from-the-back woman sitting alone at the bar was too much of a tempting lure for the horny waitress to ignore. She slunk up to the Valkyrie, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey sugar, can I get you –"

"Don't. Touch. Me." Tamsin cringed and hissed through clenched teeth. She slowly turned her head to glare at the flirty woman to accentuate the conviction of her words.

Big Red snatched her hand back immediately and went on the defensive, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. You're not interested – I get it. You don't have to be a bitch about it." She gripped her balanced tray with both hands now as it began to quiver in concert with her shaky words, barely visible ginger eyebrows raised as she added sharply, "Gods below, I have feelings, too, you know." She whirled around and stormed off in a huff, leaving the Valkyrie stunned into silence in the wake of her honest revelation as she watched the scorned woman walk away from her with her head held high.

"She's right, you know. You could have been more tactful in your rejection. And what has it gotten you; here you sit brooding and morose in your loneliness." The man to her right suddenly commented, his deep voice critical yet kind.

"I'm not lonely." Tamsin whispered, not looking at him for fear that he might see through the obvious lie by the sadness in her eyes.

He laughed in his deeply melodic baritone, but without malice, "My child, you cannot lie to me! I can see how lonely you feel – yet you need not. My Kenzi tells me how much everyone cares for you! And you have a special place in her heart, as well."

Tamsin's head whipped around at the mention of her surrogate mother's name to face the stranger who somehow knew so much about her. The Valkyrie's face was a mask of suspicion and incredulity as she stared open-mouthed at the man, the many questions running through her mind jockeying for the pole position leaving her momentarily dumbfounded and mute.

He laughed good-naturedly in his seductively deep voice again, "I'm sorry. I seem to have you at a disadvantage. Please forgive me, and allow me to introduce myself; I am Heathclife Santiago, Hale's grandfather." When Tamsin didn't react to his revelation, he walked over to her and took one of her hands in both of his as he further explained, "My beloved Kenzi has told me so much about the family she left behind."

The Valkyrie smiled warmly, she was relieved that such a kindly relative of Kenzi's lost fiancé was looking out for the human. "Bienvenido! Como estas?""

"Bien, gracias! My Kenzi told me you were smarter than most people give you credit, just as she is!" His eyes were sparkling with the by-proxy affection he felt for her.

"I'm so happy she's doing well, and has good people to rely on." Her expression become more sorrowful as she added, looking at the bar and barely able to stop her voice from cracking, "I miss her so much!"

He patted her hand gently as he reassured her with a smile, "And she misses you, her little Valkyrie!"

This made Tamsin laugh, despite her sullen mood, as she turned back to face him. "Well, I'm not so li-"

"Tamsin! So, I see you finally climbed out of the bottle and decided to grace us with your presence! You look like shit, by the way." The succubus had strode up to the pair at the bar and unceremoniously proceeded to lash out at the Valkyrie. The blonde fae and her newly met companion pulled apart as Bo pushed her way closer to interrogate her former roommate. The succubus was the only one to point out the obvious – Tamsin did look rough. Her normally full-bodied golden locks hung limply around her face, and she looked exhausted and utterly lost. She silently regarded the succubus who had her arms crossed over her chest glaring back at her with grim expression that bordered on pure disgust. She was apparently still upset by Tamsin sneaking out of the clubhouse when she needed her most. Now, with Kenzi by her side, she felt no need to try and sooth the mercurial Valkyrie's ruffled feathers over her failed attempt to be her girlfriend.

Before Tamsin could even think of answering back, Kenzi shuffled from behind the succubus and drew Tamsin into a tight hug, "OMG, I missed my 'Lil T! Give mama some sugar!" she kissed her affectionately on the cheek, quite loudly, and pulled back to look at her. "How've you been Tam Tam?"

Tamsin tried hard to put on a happy face, but she felt her eyebrows furrow involuntarily and they gave her mood away, so she stared at the floor and nodded as she answered, "I'm good. Never better!" This was not the time or place for her to unload on Kenzi, if there ever would be a time. She assumed Bo had filled her in on what had transpired between the two of them, and she hoped her human friend wouldn't see through her obvious lie and delve into how she was really feeling. But Bo saved her the worry.

"Hey, Kenzi, you said something happened to you in Spain and you wanted to warn me about something?" she pulled her best friend away from the Valkyrie and neatly inserted herself bodily between the two blondes. She didn't want to hash out the 'Tamsin situation' with Kenzi right now, either. She had long ago rationalized that Tamsin knew what she was getting into, and would soon move on to another lover as she had jumped from one to another in the past. Besides, it wasn't her that seduced the Valkyrie, it was quite the contrary. Bo shot her a look over her shoulder that told the taller blonde she would brook no discussion of unrequited love or heartbreak in front of Kenzi. The shame in the Valkyrie's eyes as she lifted her head and her anxious expression assured the succubus wordlessly she wouldn't be the one to bring it up. Clearly, the succubus had avoided talking about her, Tamsin deduced.

Kenzi and the man the Valkyrie had been speaking to ran down the details of an apparently fae break-in at her Castillo, or "castle" in English as Tamsin helpfully supplied. Bo rudely informed her over her shoulder that she understood and kept her back to the Valkyrie, not really wanting her input in the conversation. But Tamsin didn't take the hint, and every time she tried to offer some insight into the painting the intruder's were looking for or any other interjection, she was rewarded by a scathing look from the irritated succubus that quietly invited her to 'shut the fuck up.' Kenzi was her best friend, and selfish as it was of her, she didn't feel like sharing her attentions with the pouting blonde fae.

Once they had determined that they could use the painting, "The Vanishing" by name, to banish Zeus, Tamsin volunteered to run down charity auctions at museums to locate the Santiago collection. Bo didn't object; Dyson was off with his human friend and she knew of no other person with the right connections to find it quickly. But when Kenzi jokingly asked which of the other two members of the "love triangle" would be helping Bo, the genie was out of the bottle. She had inadvertently twisted the knife in Tamsin's heart, and the Valkyrie could no longer disguise her sorrow.

Tamsin huffed out a quick, "You look good!" with a smile that was more of a painful grimace than mirthful expression and launched herself off the barstool and into the gathering crowd at the Dal. Bo knew Kenzi was too sharp not to figure out what had just happened and why and looked away with a shameful expression, hoping against reason that she was wrong – but of course, she wasn't. When the inevitable questions came up, she dismissed them, "We have A LOT of catching up to do!" the succubus told her with a forced grin. Mercifully, her human friend didn't reply right away, and she looked off in the direction Tamsin disappeared in, grimacing in frustration and disappointment as she silently mouthed "Fuck" out of sight of her best friend.

As she watched, praying the Valkyrie would immediately exit the bar, Kenzi grabbed her shoulders and subsequently, her undivided attention. "BoBo?" Bo turned and looked into the intense blue eyes boring into her own under her furrowed eyebrows. She could tell the shorter woman was about to press her into explaining the tension between her and Tamsin and swallowed thickly. But when Kenzi saw the pain in the brown eyes of her most precious friend, she didn't need to hear the details right now. She had already gleaned the framework of what had happened – Tamsin was angry and hurt over a love scorned and Bo was feeling the same over a valued friendship lost. The small woman's intense expression softened and she smiled; she may be a mere human but she knew all about love and loss. Between the pair of fae women, it was a toss-up between which was the more prideful and stubborn. Bo needed her guidance to fix the broken friendship, but right now she needed cheering up more than anything. She patted Bo warmly on the shoulder, "Let's have some drinks while we wait for Tam Tam to do her cop thang!" She did a little shimmy to lighten the mood before turning to the nearly forgotten remaining member of their party, "Heath, you don't mind buyin' do you? My free tab here doesn't cover top shelf, and I left my wallet in the limo!"

* * *

Dyson was mentally kicking himself, tapping the table with a clenched fist out of frustration hard enough to cause some of the coffee in his full mug to slosh over the rim. He had trusted his son, and his son had disappointed him yet again. Alicia knew about the fae; Mark had told her everything. And worse than the boy's divulgence of their secrets to the human woman, he had emphatically defended his decision to do so. His son's defiance and immaturity baffled the shifter; he would have thought his own offspring would be more like him and less emotionally driven. He stopped his insistent abuse of the table, clapping both hands flat on the tabletop in a conscious effort to calm his rising anger. But this mess wasn't Mark or Alicia's doing; it was his, and he knew it.

As he sipped his coffee, alone in his makeshift kitchen, he mulled over what to do next. Alicia was in danger, as were they all. He wanted to keep her safe, but still felt an obligation to the colony and their rules. And of course, he had an obligation to the Blood King. It always came down to that – duty and obligation. Selfless devotion to a cause bereft of emotional influence was something Alicia didn't understand and neither did his own son. The choices of possible courses of action were quickly narrowing down to a few he didn't want to contemplate, and he leaned back in his chair, sighing as he held his face with both hands. There may be few choices, but he need not make a decision on his own. And this was too important to keep from the Ash. Dyson clapped his hands on his thighs as he stood and strode purposely to the door, grapping his keys and jacket on the way.

* * *

" _Wouldn't Bo be thrilled!?"_ the voice of Hades taunted Lauren in her own thoughts long after their conversation ended. Honestly, she didn't know how Bo would feel about the accidental fringe benefit of her life extending experiment. Surely the succubus would have figured out on her own that there was a significant change in her girlfriend's physiology. But her repeated attempts at discussing her accident in detail were rebuffed, and today – Bo had assumed she was simply more powerful now and had brought her back from the dead with that newly discovered power. And now she had unthinkingly let Hades in on her experimentation.

The doctor methodically plodded to her office, toying with the stethoscope around her neck trying to decide on a way to break the news without Bo taking over the conversation. One thing was certain, however, the succubus would not be thrilled with how she had stumbled upon the solution to her secret experimentation. The talk of ultimate power and how good it felt to wield it distracted her all day while she made her rounds and treated patients. Now that her hunger was diminished, she released she must in some way be feeding off of those whose abilities she borrowed. She had to focus on not using her conduit abilities, as Hades had dubbed them, on the most seriously ill of her patients and that at least helped her not dwell on her own problems.

Now that her work had had ended, the doctor trudged back to her private lab as her feelings of impending disaster marched merrily back into the forefront of her thoughts. Lauren shoved her hands forcefully into the pockets of her lab coat and looked at the ceiling with a sigh. It would be best to run to Bo now, and come clean with everything she had been keeping from her girlfriend. She had tried, several times today to break the news to Bo. And as much as she loved her, she had to admit that her girlfriend could get tunnel vision sometimes, never able shift her focus away from whatever held her attention at any given moment. Surely Bo should have figured out something was different about her since she was hit by the truck and nearly perished.

Making up her mind to take action now, she took her cell phone out of her pocket and opened her contacts before she hesitated and instead tapped the back of the phone. Kenzi was back, and knowing the human's absence had nearly killed the succubus she decided it might be best to give the two best friends some time to reconnect. Besides, Bo would most likely be far too distracted right now and would dismiss her attempts to discuss this as she had before. Putting down the phone, Lauren slowly removed her lab coat and hung it on a hook behind the door, holding onto the garment a few moments as she decided what to do next. Best just to sleep on it tonight, and try again tomorrow, she reasoned. Besides, she needed time to process her own newly acquired insight into her abilities.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Been awhile, I know. Sorry for the long time between updates. I will update more quickly in future. I've written quite a bit, if not posted much. Here's a little more character development/exposition severly lacking in Season 5.**

Chapter 8: Breathe; Speak to Me

The cell phone buzzing on her nightstand gradually drew Tamsin out of her blissful sleep and into the painful reality that was her life. Not bothering to reach for it, she instead rolled onto her other side and turned her bleary green eyes to the ubiquitous cheap led alarm clock on the nightstand in the cheap motel room. It was 8 pm; roughly the same time it was when she laid down to sleep the night before. Or was it two nights ago, or three? She couldn't be sure, and squeezed her eyes shut tightly before opening them again as she tried to discern where she was and how long she had been there. But once the phone stopped its incessant demands for her attention, her curiosity lacked the voracity to keep her from being seduced quickly back into the beckoning void of dreamless sleep.

The buzzing began again, louder this time, but she knew it only seemed so because she hadn't been asleep for more than a few minutes since its last annunciation. "Damn it." the Valkyrie groaned as she rolled back over and snaked her hand out in the darkness towards the offending object, knocking down the empty beer bottles in its path. They tinkled loudly as they felled their many companions like bowling pins and rolled away onto the stained carpet as the wandering hand found the object of its search. Tamsin hit the 'Answer' button on the phone without opening her eyes to look at it or bothering to check the caller ID. "What is it?" she muttered to the virtual intruder in a monotone, head still nestled into the pillow.

"Tamsin, it's Lauren. I…um, did I wake you?" the doctor asked with a rising inflection. She had expected an angry response after their last interaction, and felt sorry for the blonde fae after she had listened to Kenzi's animated description of their brief and not-so-happy reunion at the Dal when Bo turned her back on the Valkyrie, literally. Kenzi's questions about the Valkyrie's "whipped dog" behavior, however, Lauren had deflected back to Bo to explain.

"What do you want?" It seemed kind of touching to Tamsin that Lauren was concerned about interrupting her sleep, but not enough for the Valkyrie acknowledge it at the expense of prolonging the conversation and delaying her return to the oblivion of slumber. After being pushed away to the fringes of Bo's family or shut out altogether so many times she was done trying to foist her unwanted pressence upon them and equally reluctant to be drawn back into their drama to be used and discarded. The akwardness they felt in her company had become undeniable, and knowing that that akwardness was most likely born of pity for her made her feel even worse. She was leaving; it would be best for everyone. Her last encounter with Bo and Kenzi had crystallized her resolve to become the person she once was – alone yet content if not happy. Loneliness was merely solitude if it was self-imposed, and that was better than her current situation in her estimation.

The Valkyrie's directness and lack of emotion puzzled the doctor for a brief moment, until she recalled Kenzi's description of Bo's coldness to the Valkyrie in the prescience of Heathcliff Santiago. She was most likely exhausted, burnt out, and shutting herself off emotionally while embracing her distance from the others. Tamsin's status as an interloper made her the only other person within their group who was willing to go against Bo's inept plans, and Lauren knew it would be a mistake to put the issue of Hades on the back burner while they worked out petty rivalries or focused on their social life. She needed to gain Tamsin's support and use her knowledge to move the efforts of the group to the problem at hand, and the Valkyrie seemed on the verge of leaving the colony for good. Lauren quickly decided that she would not be able to have the full attention of the other woman or be able to read her reactions without visual cues, and so made the bold decision to invite herself over. "Where are you at Tamsin? I need to come talk to you."

"We are talking, Lewis." came the response in the same monotone. The Valkyrie hadn't even opened her eyes.

"It's important." Lauren countered immediately, matching her curtness if not her tone. Her voice betrayed her nervousness and concern. Bo's penchant for flying recklessly off the cuff guided only by her instinct was beginning to gnaw at her confidence in the succubus' ability to lead the group safely out of their crisis. Hades was old, powerful, and highly intelligent. It occurred to her that he either anticipated or caused through manipulation every move they made. Perhaps he did both.

"Obviously, it's important. Who the fuck ever calls me to chit chat or ask me to spend quality time with them?" she mumbled, without sorrow or bitterness. It was simply a statement of fact she could no longer ignore after re-examining her life without the filter of her love for Bo. A fact that, judging by Lauren's silence, the doctor was accepting as truth. Eager to get the conversation over with, she prodded, "Again, what is it?"

"I need to know everything you can tell me about Hades. I'm worried about him, about what he might do and about his influence on Bo." The doctor informed her slowly, yet urgently.

At the mention of the dark lord of Tartarus the drowsy blonde's eyes snapped open, "Hades!" Tamsin spat out, laughing humorlessly before continuing in her emotionless voice, "I thought you were all more concerned with finding Zee."

"Well, that has been taken care of already. Thanks to your intel on the location of the painting, Bo and Kenzi secured it, Hades told us what we needed to do, and I used my conduit powers to banish Zee." The doctor filled her in on the events that transpired in the last 24 hours, for in truth that is how long Tamsin had exiled herself in her motel room.

"Congratulations. I'm happy to hear it. Problem solved – and I've already told your girlfriend everything I know about him. Go ask her. We're d-"

"I can't ask Bo!" Dr. Lewis blurted out in desperation to keep her from hanging up.

They were both silent for a few seconds, both unsure how much they truly cared about the other's problems and if they should try to help resolve them. Surprisingly, the Valkyrie broke the silence in a softer tone, "You are closer to her than I am – just ask her. Tell her about your concerns. She'll do anything for you. She loves you."

Lauren sighed; sorry her simple request had taken an unexpected detour into awkward territory. Then again, the whole situation between the three of them was one big shit storm that was unavoidable and inevitably influenced their conversations. "Well, right now Bo is spending time with Kenzi, and I don't want to interrupt them." That was certainly true, if not the whole truth.

The doctor's reluctance to intrude on Bo and insistence on imposing on her brought out the snarkiness in the Valkyrie. "Well, I'm sure you'll have time after light's out for a little pillow talk. Are you telling me you aren't going to sleep with her tonight? I find that h-"

"She won't be honest with me!" Lauren interjected letting the other shoe drop, and continued gently yet desperately, "Not like you will, Tamsin. Bo is obsessed with finding out more about her real family. I need the truth."

Tamsin sighed into the phone. She was silent for a moment and rolled onto her back, clapping a hand on her forehead realizing she wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon now. But she was torn between her desire to divulge everything she knew to help the troubled doctor and her deep-rooted instinct to distance herself from these people who wounded her so egregiously and probably irreparably. She settled on revealing a truth, if not THE truth Lauren was seeking, "Lauren, listen to me – I've already tried to warn her – she won't listen. She's always been too self-assured to go along with anyone's plan except her own and isn't going to take advice from me. If I tell you what I know and what I think he's up to and you confront her with it - she'll think I am trying to interfere in your relationship. And she will hate me all the more for it. But I'll give you some free advice for what it's worth - stay the fuck away from him."

With that the line went dead. Lauren slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She didn't call back; there was no need. She knew Tamsin wouldn't answer. And Tamsin was right; the succubus was all too quick to make decisions based on emotions and bravado rather than analysis of known facts and risk assessment. But the Valkyrie wasn't the only person with knowledge of the ancients, or willing to give advice born of wisdom and experience.

* * *

After presumably successfully banishing Zee, Bo and Kenzi had talked of all the developments in their lives since their separation. They spoke of Dyson's budding romance, his handsome yet incompetent son, Lauren's manipulation of Evony, and the Russian woman's life in Spain. Everything and anything they could think of to avoid the thinking about the fact that they had both agreed it would be best if Kenzi returned home the next morning. By the time they emptied the first bottle of wine, the topics of family life left to discuss dwindled to the Russian's impending departure and the strangely absent Valkyrie. To circumvent having to explain the shunning of Tamsin, Bo suggested watching a movie together, for old time's sake, and Kenzi eagerly agreed.

The succubus gleefully pranced into the kitchen while Kenzi searched for a perfect movie for the two of them to watch on their last night together. " _Pretty Woman_ " is still in the DVD player, if you want to watch that!" Bo called over her shoulder as she bent down to search the lower cabinets for more alcohol.

Kenzi was perusing the videos now neatly stacked and organized under the television with one finger pressed to the side of her face, deep in thought as if contemplating a life or death decision. "No…not in the mood for a sappy romance. Not much into fairly tales about love anymore." She mused as she rummaged around the makeshift entertainment center, "Something…more…true to life…aha! Perfect."

Bo set the new bottle of wine on the counter and began unwrapping the popcorn Lauren had purchased just days ago for movie night. Just a bit tipsy and feeling exuberant over her recent reconciliation with Lauren, the succubus thought out loud, "Oh c'mon Kenzi, don't tell me you've become so jaded now you don't believe in fairytale romances? What's wrong with believing that true love can have a happy ending?!" Pressing the popcorn button on the microwave she turned and leaned against the counter to find her friend staring back at her, head cocked to one side with a wistful look on her face. Apparently her offhand comment had struck an emotional chord with the young woman, and it dawned on her that perhaps Kenzi wasn't fully over Hale's death. Bo took a deep breath tightened her grip on the countertop behind her while she mentally vetted how to walk back the comment instead of blurting something out and putting her foot in her mouth again.

Kenzi noticed the pained look on her best friend's face and smiled warmly to alleviate her distress. "Oh BoBo! Of course I still believe in love!" She marched over to the kitchen island tossing her DVD on the stool next to her and placed her elbows on the countertop, cradling her face with both hands as she added her caveat with an eyeroll, "Just not convinced it makes the world go 'round anymore if you know what I mean. But I'm pretty sure my love for Jimmy Chus does make the sunrise everyday! That's my superpower. You're welcome." She pointed at Bo with a pistol finger gesture, gave a little clicking noise and winked.

Bo airy laughter filled the room and Kenzi laughed with her, lifting the mood. Kenzi always knew what to say to make her feel better. The popcorn started popping as if joining their expression of mirth, reminding them their mission was to watch a movie and recapture the simple joy of being together. Bo pushed herself off the counter and clapped her hands together, "Alright, oh Goddess of the Sunrise, what are we going to watch then?"

Kenzi straightened up and quickly snatched the DVD off the stool where she had discarded it, but kept it hidden from Bo's view behind the island as she spoke, "I'll give you a hint - 'They'll dance for a fee, but devour you for free!' Can you guess what it is?" She hopped lightly up and down showing her excitement and eagerness to gain the succubus' approval.

Now it was the brunette's turn to roll her eyes, "Oh no Kenzi! Not _Zombie Strippers_!" she exclaimed with a grin. But the grin faded quickly as she remembered THAT was the movie Tamsin had wanted to watch on family movie night. She brushed the thought away and forced a small smile as she continued, not wanting to follow a train of thought that led to discussing the wayward Valkyrie. Tonight was supposed to be fun. "But I promised you could pick the movie, so I guess…" she rolled her eyes sarcastically and threw her hands up and brought them down to her hips with an exaggerated slap, "…I'll just have to suffer through it again!"

Kenzi let out a squeal and ran around the counter, hugging Bo with DVD still in one hand. "Thank you!" she whispered and pulled back from the embrace to look her in the eyes and added, "You won't regret it Bo. Strippers!"

Just then the microwave beeped its announcement that the popcorn was ready, and Bo laughed at her companion as she pulled out of the embrace, "OK, you win! You had me at strippers. Now go get the TV warmed up and I'll get take care of the refreshments!"

As Kenzi trotted off to take care of the entertainment chores, Bo turned back to fetch a bowl for the popcorn. She frowned as memories of the Valkyrie drifted unwanted to forefront of her thoughts. No one had seen or heard from her in the last 24 hours, and it would be just like her to show up now and cause a scene to ruin her and Kenzi's last night together. To try to change the subject, she asked Kenzi a question about the movie, "Hey Kenz, I thought you took that movie with you when you left for Spain. Did you bring it back especially to torment me?"

Kenzi giggled at the half-hearted accusation as she fast-forwarded the DVD past the movie advertisements to the main menu, "Of course not BoBo! I have many other ways to torment you! No, I left it here for TamTam, along with my X-Files collection. She loves that movie! And it was right here, on top of the DVD player. Why would you think I took it with me?" The main menu now up, Kenzi pushed play and turned to look at her best friend.

Bo was frozen in place facing her, bottle of wine in one hand, popcorn bowl in the other. "I…uh we…looked for it the other day. We couldn't find it." She regained her motor skills and walked over to sit on the couch next to Kenzi as she explained herself, maneuvering the conversation back to lighter subjects, "Well, Lauren must have found it later and set it out." She set down the popcorn bowl and grabbed the wine glasses one at a time, filling them dangerously close to the rim. "Ooohh, the movie is starting - let's get drunk!" she said, her face breaking out into a huge smile her deep brown eyes apparently boycotted.

"You got it girl!" she smirked. The diminutive Russian smiled in return as they clinked glasses carefully in a toast and her eyes twinkled with mischief Bo hoped wasn't related to her active avoidance of the topic of 'Tamsin.' That hope was seriously misplaced since Kenzi was notorious for reading Bo like a book. But she was smart enough to let it go while the succubus was being defense, and opted to lead her into the conversation rather than confront her with harsh questions. They both turned their attention to the movie they had both seen many times. After awhile, Kenzi remarked "This movie reminds me of when we went to that selkie strip club on an investigation. Remember that?"

This time, Bo's smile was sincere as she let out a short snort of laugher. She informed her bestie while pointing at her with the hand that held her wine glass, "How could I forget? That was the day you almost lost your hetro cred, all the cash you had on you, AND your girl-on-girl virginity!" She looked at Kenzi and saw the wide-eyed mock shocked expression and laughed even harder, "Kenzi, I thought I'd have to pry you off those women! Thank the gods they weren't zombies!" This, this is what she wanted for the rest of their evening - easy carefree banter between friends not talking about the danger they might be facing.

In retaliation for the taunt, Kenzi reached across and pushed her jokingly on the shoulder causing Bo to nearly spill her wine, "Shut UP!" She sat back up and drew herself up straight in mock indignance, "Well if you did remember correctly, I was a perfect lady and you know I am still down with the D." She grinned and laughed at the memory of being mesmerized by the selkie women at the club and took a long sip of her wine while eying her bestie over the rim of the glass. "Soooo…" she began slyly after licking her lips and setting her glass down, "…have you convinced Dr. Hotpants to go to a club of questionable repute and nearly nude women with you yet? I know how much you love them!" She covered Bo's free hand with her own, emphasizing her interest in the subject.

Bo rolled her eyes in frustration, because she did enjoy the energy in the strip clubs and because Kenzi knew damn well her girlfriend wouldn't go with her. "Uh, no! Duh! You know Lauren thinks strip clubs are exploitative to vulnerable women." She pulled the hand on her knee out from under Kenzi's hand and sipped her own wine using both her hands to hold the glass. Her suspicion aroused, it was her turn to stare at her bestie over the rim of her own wine glass. She turned her eyes away and watched her own hand as she gingerly set the wine glass on the coffee table, contemplating where Kenzi could possibly be going with this line of questioning as she looked back at her and continued. "She gets all 'Karen Beatty the Activist' on me with a lecture if I even mention it to her." Bo mused aloud, not bitterly but regretfully. She and Lauren loved each other completely and without reservation, but their ideas of fun were more often than not diametrically opposed.

"Oh. Sorry." Kenzi hung her head for a moment before looking back at the television. "I only brought it up because I thought she might have had a change of heart." She turned back to Bo with her head tilted slightly down and gave her an almost predatory look, "You know, seeing as you two were looking for the _Zombie Strippers_ movie and knowing how much you both hate it and all."

Bo rolled her eyes again and threw her hands up in defeat while exclaiming, "OK, fine! It was Tamsin that wanted to watch the movie! But you already knew that didn't you, Mama Kenz?" She clapped her hands flat on her thighs and waited for the inevitable interrogation over the missing member of their little family.

Kenzi crossed her arms over her chest, the movie having never held her attention and merely used as a very clever and effective tool to get Bo to willingly open up to her about "The Tamsin Situation" as she had begun to think of it. Everyone in their cobbled together family seemed reluctant to discuss the Valkyrie she had raised, and it irked her to the point that she devised a cunning plan to get to the heart of the matter. In fact, she had remembered she had hidden the movie from Bo to keep her from hiding it herself as her bestie had done in the past. It was never left on top of the DVD player, and Bo would have known that had she not been trying desperately to avoid discussing what happened between her and the Valkyrie. She gave the woman she considered a sister a stern look and demanded, "Of course I knew. A mother knows. TamTam can't go a week without watching it, and I knew she would ask for it when it was her turn to choose on movie night. And she didn't know where I hid it. Now, spill!"

The brunette sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She didn't know where to begin, how to explain her own mixed feelings and uncertainty about how to deal with the blonde fae whose emotions and behavior where inexplicable to her own understanding. She decided to start with the night their relationship went to shit. She opened her eyes again, and looked at Kenzi grimly. Best to rip that BandAid off in one swift motion rather than peel it back slowly and prolong the pain. "She told me she was in love with me, and I told her I didn't feel the same."

The short human wasn't satisfied with that explanation. She knew there was more to it than that, and Bo wasn't just avoiding talking about what happened – she was avoiding thinking about what happened objectively. Kenzi narrowed her eyes, "So, you expect me to believe she just packed up and left because of that. And yesterday you treated her like she killed your favorite dog, stole your truck and drove away with your best girl because she loves you and you don't love her? Really, Bo?"

"She doesn't really love me Kenzi!" Bo exclaimed reflexively in her own defense. She leaned forward and gently pulled Kenzi's hands off of her crossed arms and scooted closer to her so their clasped hands were together between them. She looked into the human's ice blue eyes and told her earnestly, "She doesn't even know what love is, remember? She isn't in love with me, and she got angry at me when I told her that and stormed off." The succubus sighed and looked at the ceiling, knowing the Valkyrie's mother would also want to know why she was so cold to her at the bar. "She said some hurtful things, and when I told her I needed her she said she didn't need me." The tiny human sat up taller drawing in a deep breath at that, and the succubus eyes snapped back to gaze into her companion's. Knowing she had said something wrong to illicit that response even if Kenzi made no comment on it, the brunette hurriedly continued, "She was being a total bitch because she didn't get her way in the little competition she had with Lauren over me. And I just don't understand why she won't let go of her little game and stop pouting so things can get back to normal. The fate of the whole world could be at risk, and we need her help!"

Kenzi sighed, and looked at their clasped hands while deciding how to proceed. There was only one detail she needed to complete her assessment of the situation, and she didn't bother looking at Bo when she asked for confirmation of her suspicions. "Did you sleep with her Bo?"


End file.
